Monday 28 January 2008

Dollars and Cents

I wanted to call this post "the greatest bluff ever" but sadly the Smiths or Radiohead have never done a song with that name so......

Anyway, this is from last night's $22PL8b tourney on Stars which I've been having good runs in. Finished 4th last night after a couple of gay beats at the final table - worst was getting the chip leader all-in when I had AA3J on a T62 flop after I re-raised him pre-flop. Clown called with A5Kx and the turn was a 3 to give him a damn half.

Before that was this great bluff. I've tidied up the hand history but we were 7-handed on the FT.

Seat 4: mackem790 (47537 in chips)
Seat 6: Manta_Rays (38087 in chips)

jelijahd: posts small blind 1000
Manta_Rays: posts big blind 2000

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to mackem790 [4h 4c 2h 6c]
4 folds
mackem790: raises 4000 to 6000
jelijahd: folds
Manta_Rays: calls 4000
*** FLOP *** [Qh Jd 5c]
Manta_Rays: checks
mackem790: checks
*** TURN *** [Qh Jd 5c] [5s]
Manta_Rays: checks
mackem790: bets 8000
Manta_Rays: calls 8000
*** RIVER *** [Qh Jd 5c 5s] [Ad]
Manta_Rays: checks
mackem790: bets 20000
Manta_Rays: folds
mackem790 collected 29000 from pot
mackem790: doesn't show hand

Pre-flop it's essentially a steal, although the hand does have some potential to make a scabby low or lucky high hand. Easy check behind on the flop to see if I pick up any draw, and when he checks the turn I have to take another stab.

River is pretty ugly but it's balls in hand time and fire again, thankfully he folded.

While all this was going on I jumped into a big chip lead in the Stud8 +1 tourney on Full Tilt despite running into quads for the third time this series - just as predicted :)

Ran so well early on it was inevitable the cards would dry up and eventually finished 3rd, well done to Vman (2nd) and donkey lucksack motha f**ka (1st)

Thursday 24 January 2008

Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

Well okay, possibly not fully miserable, but definitely a little peeved after the last couple of nights' poker.

Firstly I was chip leader for a while deep into the $11r on Stars and dreaming of a first prize of $13k before eventually busting out in 14th out of 1731 starters.

Bust-out hand was nothing special (my AJ of diamonds lost to KQ of diamonds all-in PF) but annoyed I went card dead at the crucial time and misplayed/didn't get full value when I did have some big hands.

Then last night I finished second in the +1 Stud tournament thanks to a remarkable comeback from less than 200 chips at one stage, but then finished 8th in a $22PL08 tourney on Stars.

Cruised all the way to the FT (about 360 starters IIRC) but then busted when a fellow big stack hit runner runner flush after I bet the flop and turn with overpair and big str8 draw. He has something like A3Qx on a Q 10 6r flop, 9 on river made my str8 but also the backdoor flush.

I had enough chips to fold and still be in good shape but made a tilty call and that was that.

Disappointing but feel the 08 tournament is hugely +EV for me, as are the 1 and 2-table $55PL08 STT's on Full Tilt. Won one and finished 4th in the two 2-table ones I played last night.

Can't play the +1 Hold em event tonight (not too disappointed as limit sucks) but should manage the rest of them in a probably futile attempt to catch Dwal in the POTY race....

Monday 14 January 2008

Still ill (Part II)

So I finally make it to the Monte Carlo p0ker room and find Dave and Sucko sat next to each other at a table. Dave has a monster stack which he tells me comes from the clown in seat 1, who has already rebought at least 4 times and donated all his chips by calling down Dave with absolutely nothing.

I get the 10 seat, guy in 9 seat also has huge stack and is open raising to $32 with rag aces at a 1/2 table mainly because our friend in seat 1 is calling with any two cards. Seat 1 doubles me up when I have AA and he chases all the way, 1 pair is good, but then cracks AA later when he calls $50 pre-flop with 45o

Sucko then rivers an A with AKs all-in PF against Dave's QQ but they're both winning big bets on the Georgia bowl game so all's good. To avoid tilting after being felted I head off for some food and then down to the Mirage, where I get a text from Dave saying he's just won $4500 playing blackjack. I reply that I officially hate him.

Dave's gone to the airport when I get back to the room at 3/4am but Lucko gives me a full description of his amazing blackjack streak. Try to get some sleep but Kev has a wonderful combination of a nasty cough, bad nasal breathing and snoring. I consider killing him in his sleep but figure I'd be the obvious suspect...

He also sets the world's loudest alarm AND orders a wake up call to make sure he doesn't miss his flight but I have to check out at 11am anyway and move into my new room in the same hotel.

For the next couple of days my attempts to meet up with Josh and Malachai are unsuccessful due to my dodgy mobile which means I get texts about 4 days after they were sent!

As for p0ker, I final table the bounty tournament I won at TI before (twice) and also reach the FT of a PL Omaha event at Caesars, but generally run my usual shitty standard apart from a couple of sessions.

Best was probably at Mirage where I win $300 at 1/2NL while waiting for the 5/10 Omaha hi lo limit game to start, and then turn that $500 into $1200 against the omaha donks (70 big bets in a few hours). Also finally had AA against KK at Caesar's at 2/5NL for a nice pot.

Final day I check out at 11am and have couple of hours to kill. No game going at Monte Carlo so I play some blackjack and win $175 in about 5 minutes - chicken feed to Dave but added to the $275 I won while steaming at the Mirage made for a nice blackjack profit.

Head over to 1/2NL at MGM and table was so passive even I was able to run a table over for the first time ever. First time I straddled everyone folded to me so I started betting and raising with all kinds of stuff, and showing lots of bluffs to try to loosen things up.

It works nicely when I find KQo on my next straddle and make it $20 more after a couple of limpers. Woman directly to my left calls, flop is Kxx. I bet, she calls. Turn is a Q and I'm thinking about how much to bet when I see she's already reaching for chips so I check-raise instead and we get it all-in. She has KJ and is drawing dead.

Few hands later I get AA and raise, 1 caller. Flop is A86 and we both check. Turn is a 9 I think and villain bets $25, I make it $75 and he calls. 6 pairs the board on the river and I bet $75, he announces all-in and I call obviously. He has 88 for a lower boat and I scoop a big pot.

Still ill

So, after the farce of my cancelled flights I get a lucky break when the Virgin flight on New Year's Eve is half empty and I get a whole row of seats to myself on the 10hr flight from London. Watch a couple of films and get some sleep so don't feel too bad when I get into Vegas around 1pm. Amazingly, suitcase is second bag on the carousel so I grab a cab and head for the Monte Carlo.

We get stuck at the corner of the MGM and Strip with all the traffic but eventually get to the hotel, I get a key for the room I'm sharing with Dave and Sucko and dump my bags. Quick shower and change and it's off to the MGM to meet up.

There are three 2/5NL tables running, Dave at one, Kev at another and of course I get a seat at the third! Bust one guy with AA v AJ on a J-high flop before I get a transfer to Dave's table. Table is nice and lively and one guy ends up singing "There's only one Ricky Hatton" over and over again when he discovers I was there for the fight a few weeks ago.

Stoner turns up later and we grab dinner at some cafe place in MGM before heading onto the Strip. By this time I've topped up the booze from the plane with a few beers and add to it with Glenfiddich from the hip flask hidden in my coat so the memory of later events is a bit vague.

We stop to heckle this illiterate God botherer on the street,






and then I think somehow get into Harrah's using a Total Rewards Card passed over the barriers between us to get in and get a drink. Believe this is where I meet Todd (TDizzle) and we all see in 2008 watching the fireworks. (Gay)



Head into the Mirage and end up with all six Plus One ers on a 1/2NL table, but by this stage am apparently pretty wasted, and fail miserably with a 3-street bluff against sucko with AK - he calls with some 85-type garbage and takes it down. Dave runs like Sucko used to and felts Sucko and some clown non Plus One er with 22 on a J72 flop - both opponents had J7.

Think we all get a cab back to Monte Carlo around 6am, Lucko and I crash out but Dave declares "sleeping in Vegas is gay" and heads down to the p0ker room. At one point I wake up and have to vomit copiously in the bathroom, thankfully alive enough to make sure it's all in the toilet. Go back to bed and don't get up again until around 4pm. Get ready to head out and have my coat on when I need to throw up again, this time it's pretty much just bile. Feels like my eyes are sweating. Not felt this bad from alcohol in years

Details of wild 1/2 table to follow...