Just a quick update to apologise for the lack of updates.
I know many people can barely get through the day without reading this blog so please forgive me.
Basically I'm covering the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield (check out the world snooker pages on www.sportinglife.com) so have no time to play and/or blog.
Having said that, there was no morning session today so I did manage about 25 minutes of 2/4PLO8 on Party in my hotel room, and won a quick $105. No special hands, although I was disappointed not to get paid off when a big draw hit on the turn.
I had A3xx with the nut flush draw on a J52 flop with 2 of my suit. I was in SB and checked, MP checked and button bet the pot of $15. I raised to $52, MP called and button folded. Turn was a low spade giving me nut-nut. I strongly considered checking, figuring my (decent) opponent could at least also have A3 but decided to bet instead.
He thought forever and folded (FAWK!).
Finally, congrats to Lucko on winning everything he enters apparently.
* I'm aware this is obviously not a Radiohead or Smiths song, but Chas and Dave rule...
Thursday, 24 April 2008
Saturday, 12 April 2008
[nice dream]
Despite a very poor record on Stars I decided to take advantage of their deposit bonus (20% up to $120) and stuck down $600 - to be precise, I stuck down $599.35 or something equally stupid due to a $600 max deposit limit on my debit card and an uncooperative exchange rate!!!
Anyway, first night would have you believing in the old deposit myth which claims that sites let you win when you first deposit/redeposit, and then gradually turn the screws on the RnG to fuck you over good and proper :)
I ran up a quick $200 profit and then, after 2 ~breakeven sort of nights, nudged that up another $200 or so, partly thanks to this guy below.
To be fair, in this hand he has a ~legitimate reason to go broke, but he had been playing like a complete donk since I sat down so it was nice to see proof for once that the "good players" will win in the end.
This is pretty much a brag but it's my blog so...It does at least demonstrate one of the rare times it is okay to slowplay in Omaha hi. I was actually saying out loud during the hand "I can only lose to a Q" and sure enough, that's what he had in his hand.
Poker Stars
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players
Stack sizes:
mackem790: $192.75
UTG+1: $231.20
CO: $160.30
Button: $192
SB: $741
BB: $294.60
Pre-flop: (6 players) mackem790 is UTG with jc kh ad 9h
mackem790 calls, UTG+1 calls, CO calls, Button calls, SB calls, BB checks.
Flop: jh 9s js ($24, 6 players)
SB checks, BB checks, mackem790 checks, UTG+1 checks, CO bets $22.8, 3 folds, mackem790 calls, UTG+1 folds.
Turn: 2d ($69.6, 2 players)
mackem790 checks, CO bets $48, mackem790 calls.
River: 3c ($165.6, 2 players)
mackem790 checks, CO is all-in $85.5, mackem790 calls.
Results:
Final pot: $336.6
Anyway, first night would have you believing in the old deposit myth which claims that sites let you win when you first deposit/redeposit, and then gradually turn the screws on the RnG to fuck you over good and proper :)
I ran up a quick $200 profit and then, after 2 ~breakeven sort of nights, nudged that up another $200 or so, partly thanks to this guy below.
To be fair, in this hand he has a ~legitimate reason to go broke, but he had been playing like a complete donk since I sat down so it was nice to see proof for once that the "good players" will win in the end.
This is pretty much a brag but it's my blog so...It does at least demonstrate one of the rare times it is okay to slowplay in Omaha hi. I was actually saying out loud during the hand "I can only lose to a Q" and sure enough, that's what he had in his hand.
Poker Stars
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players
Stack sizes:
mackem790: $192.75
UTG+1: $231.20
CO: $160.30
Button: $192
SB: $741
BB: $294.60
Pre-flop: (6 players) mackem790 is UTG with jc kh ad 9h
mackem790 calls, UTG+1 calls, CO calls, Button calls, SB calls, BB checks.
Flop: jh 9s js ($24, 6 players)
SB checks, BB checks, mackem790 checks, UTG+1 checks, CO bets $22.8, 3 folds, mackem790 calls, UTG+1 folds.
Turn: 2d ($69.6, 2 players)
mackem790 checks, CO bets $48, mackem790 calls.
River: 3c ($165.6, 2 players)
mackem790 checks, CO is all-in $85.5, mackem790 calls.
Results:
Final pot: $336.6
Monday, 7 April 2008
Late Night, Maudlin Street
Or in this case, early morning, Ashfield Avenue in early bloody April!!!
So much for the clocks going forward to herald the start of British Summer Time.
So much for the clocks going forward to herald the start of British Summer Time.
Thursday, 3 April 2008
I Might be Wrong...
...and I probably am, but here's a couple of Omaha hands to discuss where I could (should?) have raised for value on the river.
Warning: Looking back, this one is pretty ugly from the turn onwards. (HI LO)
Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: $532.89
UTG+1: $179.92
CO: $515.48
Button: $356.46
MackemPlus1: $568.76
BB: $400
Pre-flop: (6 players) MackemPlus1 is SB with qs as qd 5h
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, 2 folds, MackemPlus1 calls, BB checks.
Not a bad hand to raise with but, from the SB, I prefer to just check as my A5 low draw isn't really strong enough.
Flop: ts 2c 4d ($12, 3 players)
MackemPlus1 bets $9.4, BB folds, UTG+1 calls.
Good flop, any bare A2 lurking is buggered and I have my QQ overpair. Easy bet.
Turn: 6c ($30.8, 2 players)
MackemPlus1 checks, UTG+1 checks.
In two minds about this check. At first I thought it was pretty weak but OTOH, I have to put him on a low draw to have called the flop bet.
River: Qh ($30.8, 2 players)
MackemPlus1 checks, UTG+1 bets $20, MackemPlus1 calls.
Results:
Final pot: $70.8
Nice river card, but if villain has A3 for the nut low I still only get half. Not sure why I check-called though, pretty gay yes?
This one is hi only and I river the second nut flush, only for BB to spring to life.
Raise the river????
Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $1/$2
6 players
[url=http://www.neildewhurst.com/hand-converter]Converter[/url]
[b]Stack sizes:[/b]
UTG: $201.26
UTG+1: $200.05
MackemPlus1: $232.58
Button: $256.72
SB: $339.20
BB: $113.65
[b]Pre-flop:[/b] ([i]6 players[/i]) MackemPlus1 is CO with [Qc] [Kc] [Kh] [7h]
[i]2 folds[/i], MackemPlus1 calls, Button folds, SB calls, BB checks.
[b]Flop:[/b] [Qs] [7d] [5h] ([i]$6, 3 players[/i])
SB checks, BB checks, [color=#cc0000]MackemPlus1 bets $5.7[/color], SB folds, BB calls.
[b]Turn:[/b] [3h] ([i]$17.4, 2 players[/i])
BB checks, MackemPlus1 checks.
[b]River:[/b] [2h] ([i]$17.4, 2 players[/i])
[color=#cc0000]BB bets $16.53[/color], MackemPlus1 calls.
[b]Results:[/b]
Final pot: $50.46
PS: Anyone know of a hand converter (or which settings to use on the neildewhurst one) which is best for blogs??? I'd like to use the nice pretty big cards if poss.
Warning: Looking back, this one is pretty ugly from the turn onwards. (HI LO)
Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: $532.89
UTG+1: $179.92
CO: $515.48
Button: $356.46
MackemPlus1: $568.76
BB: $400
Pre-flop: (6 players) MackemPlus1 is SB with qs as qd 5h
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, 2 folds, MackemPlus1 calls, BB checks.
Not a bad hand to raise with but, from the SB, I prefer to just check as my A5 low draw isn't really strong enough.
Flop: ts 2c 4d ($12, 3 players)
MackemPlus1 bets $9.4, BB folds, UTG+1 calls.
Good flop, any bare A2 lurking is buggered and I have my QQ overpair. Easy bet.
Turn: 6c ($30.8, 2 players)
MackemPlus1 checks, UTG+1 checks.
In two minds about this check. At first I thought it was pretty weak but OTOH, I have to put him on a low draw to have called the flop bet.
River: Qh ($30.8, 2 players)
MackemPlus1 checks, UTG+1 bets $20, MackemPlus1 calls.
Results:
Final pot: $70.8
Nice river card, but if villain has A3 for the nut low I still only get half. Not sure why I check-called though, pretty gay yes?
This one is hi only and I river the second nut flush, only for BB to spring to life.
Raise the river????
Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $1/$2
6 players
[url=http://www.neildewhurst.com/hand-converter]Converter[/url]
[b]Stack sizes:[/b]
UTG: $201.26
UTG+1: $200.05
MackemPlus1: $232.58
Button: $256.72
SB: $339.20
BB: $113.65
[b]Pre-flop:[/b] ([i]6 players[/i]) MackemPlus1 is CO with [Qc] [Kc] [Kh] [7h]
[i]2 folds[/i], MackemPlus1 calls, Button folds, SB calls, BB checks.
[b]Flop:[/b] [Qs] [7d] [5h] ([i]$6, 3 players[/i])
SB checks, BB checks, [color=#cc0000]MackemPlus1 bets $5.7[/color], SB folds, BB calls.
[b]Turn:[/b] [3h] ([i]$17.4, 2 players[/i])
BB checks, MackemPlus1 checks.
[b]River:[/b] [2h] ([i]$17.4, 2 players[/i])
[color=#cc0000]BB bets $16.53[/color], MackemPlus1 calls.
[b]Results:[/b]
Final pot: $50.46
PS: Anyone know of a hand converter (or which settings to use on the neildewhurst one) which is best for blogs??? I'd like to use the nice pretty big cards if poss.
Saturday, 29 March 2008
Roy's Keen
What threatened to be a shitty day turned into an absolute beauty today, culminating in a tournament win and Sunderland almost certainly securing Premier League status for next season!!!!
It didn't look so good around 4.15pm with Bolton beating 10-man Arsenal 2-0, Sunderland drawing 1-1 with West Ham and Birmingham being given the worst penalty decision you have ever seen in your life (Rob Styles is a fucking muppet) on their way to beating Man City 3-1.
I was also in danger of being bullied out of what had seemed a certain cash in the $11 PL0 rebuy tourney on Party with the chip leader raising every hand from the CO or button when I was in the small or large blind.
But within 30 minutes or so the world was again a beautiful place, demonstrating once more why we love football and poker so much, even though for 95% of the time they are both a pain in the arse.
First Arsenal's amazing comeback effectively doomed Bolton to relegation (and average crowds of 7,000 in the Championship next season - Mickey Mouse club, hello, hello) and then Andy Reid scored in the sixth minute of injury time to give Sunderland a 2-1 win over the Hammers.
Coincidentally the latest edition of the Sunderland fanzine, A Love Supreme, landed on my doorstep this morning with a cover caricature of the slightly corpulent Reid eating a hamburger, along with the song in his honour:
He's Andy Reid
He plays left wing
He loves McDonalds and Burger King.
Fat he may be but the boy has a great left foot!
But I digress.
Back to the Omaha and I finally get a hand to take a stand against the bully. He raises for the millionth time, I jam with AAxx and he calls with Q932 lol.
Knew he was raising light but fuck me he turns two pair and I'm ready to smash another mouse when the river is an ace....Now we have a game and I start taking him on and, thankfully for me, he doesn't know when to change gears. I get even in chips by checkraising a couple of flops and he instafolds, then I get top set v his two pair and he's out in 4th, one off the money.
That makes me a monster chip leader and, despite a couple of brief setbacks, I crush the shorties quickly and take down the $455 first prize. Not bad for a $22 outlay ( buy-in and top-up, no rebuy needed) with just 30 entries.
Added to my 2nd in the hi-lo on Thursday this pretty much makes me the king of Omaha games and I'll definitely be trying to play these tournaments on a regular basis.
Ha'way the lads!!!
It didn't look so good around 4.15pm with Bolton beating 10-man Arsenal 2-0, Sunderland drawing 1-1 with West Ham and Birmingham being given the worst penalty decision you have ever seen in your life (Rob Styles is a fucking muppet) on their way to beating Man City 3-1.
I was also in danger of being bullied out of what had seemed a certain cash in the $11 PL0 rebuy tourney on Party with the chip leader raising every hand from the CO or button when I was in the small or large blind.
But within 30 minutes or so the world was again a beautiful place, demonstrating once more why we love football and poker so much, even though for 95% of the time they are both a pain in the arse.
First Arsenal's amazing comeback effectively doomed Bolton to relegation (and average crowds of 7,000 in the Championship next season - Mickey Mouse club, hello, hello) and then Andy Reid scored in the sixth minute of injury time to give Sunderland a 2-1 win over the Hammers.
Coincidentally the latest edition of the Sunderland fanzine, A Love Supreme, landed on my doorstep this morning with a cover caricature of the slightly corpulent Reid eating a hamburger, along with the song in his honour:
He's Andy Reid
He plays left wing
He loves McDonalds and Burger King.
Fat he may be but the boy has a great left foot!
But I digress.
Back to the Omaha and I finally get a hand to take a stand against the bully. He raises for the millionth time, I jam with AAxx and he calls with Q932 lol.
Knew he was raising light but fuck me he turns two pair and I'm ready to smash another mouse when the river is an ace....Now we have a game and I start taking him on and, thankfully for me, he doesn't know when to change gears. I get even in chips by checkraising a couple of flops and he instafolds, then I get top set v his two pair and he's out in 4th, one off the money.
That makes me a monster chip leader and, despite a couple of brief setbacks, I crush the shorties quickly and take down the $455 first prize. Not bad for a $22 outlay ( buy-in and top-up, no rebuy needed) with just 30 entries.
Added to my 2nd in the hi-lo on Thursday this pretty much makes me the king of Omaha games and I'll definitely be trying to play these tournaments on a regular basis.
Ha'way the lads!!!
Sunday, 23 March 2008
Disappointed*
Qualified for the Party Poker $300k today for an outlay of $26, crushing a single-table satellite which offered just one place, 2nd got $25 back!
For once built a nice stack early on (more on which to follow) but eventually busted out 278th out of 1500 starters, top 200 paid.
Firstly I wanted to share this Omaha hand I've just played, which I think demonstrates when a "donk" bet can be a good tactic.
Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $1/$2
10 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: $217
UTG+1: $491.73
MackemPlus1: $221.64
MP1: $39
MP2: $208.90
MP3: $348.41
CO: $118.45
Button: $284.80
SB: $172
BB: $230.95
Pre-flop: (10 players) MackemPlus1 is UTG+2 with 3c 3s ad jd
2 folds, MackemPlus1 calls, MP1 raises to $4, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, CO calls, Button folds, SB calls, BB folds, MackemPlus1 calls.
Limping here is pretty bad/unusual for me with a weak hand, blame it on still being in the $300k and not concentrating! Short-stack clown min raises and we take the flop 5-handed.
Flop: jh 3d 8s ($22, 5 players)
SB checks, MackemPlus1 bets $16, MP1 raises all-in $35, 3 folds, MackemPlus1 calls.
Nice flop, but it's still only bottom set and this is why I decide to donk into the shorty. I fully expect this clown to have AAxx or four broadway cards and equally expect him to jam. The benefit of this is that most Omadonks with a set of Js or 8s will now re-raise, allowing me to fold if that is what one of the big stacks does.
Turn: 4s ($92, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $92)
River: 6d ($92, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $92)
Results:
Final pot: $92
MackemPlus1 balance 271.64 bet 39 collected 89 net 50 3c 3s Ad Jd
MP1 balance 0 lost 39 Js 9h Ks Th
None of the big stacks call and I'm certain I'm good against shorty and have an easy call.
Back to the $300k guarantee and a hand I wasn't happy with, although it could be ROT after I saw the flop.
Blinds: t150/t300
10 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: t5372
UTG+1: t2110
UTG+2: t6090
MP1: t5466
MP2: t11270
MackemPlus1: t15130
CO: t4260
Button: t20064
SB: t14297
BB: t20663
Pre-flop: (10 players) MackemPlus1 is MP3 with qs ah
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises all-in t2110, 2 folds, MP2 calls t2110 (pot was t2560), MackemPlus1 ??????????
Is this an autocall, iso-raise or fold?
Knowing what I now know about MP2 after playing against them for a while I would have re-raised, but that's easy to say with hindsight.
Be interested to hear in your thoughts?
*Track 14, Bona Drag
For once built a nice stack early on (more on which to follow) but eventually busted out 278th out of 1500 starters, top 200 paid.
Firstly I wanted to share this Omaha hand I've just played, which I think demonstrates when a "donk" bet can be a good tactic.
Party Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $1/$2
10 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: $217
UTG+1: $491.73
MackemPlus1: $221.64
MP1: $39
MP2: $208.90
MP3: $348.41
CO: $118.45
Button: $284.80
SB: $172
BB: $230.95
Pre-flop: (10 players) MackemPlus1 is UTG+2 with 3c 3s ad jd
2 folds, MackemPlus1 calls, MP1 raises to $4, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, CO calls, Button folds, SB calls, BB folds, MackemPlus1 calls.
Limping here is pretty bad/unusual for me with a weak hand, blame it on still being in the $300k and not concentrating! Short-stack clown min raises and we take the flop 5-handed.
Flop: jh 3d 8s ($22, 5 players)
SB checks, MackemPlus1 bets $16, MP1 raises all-in $35, 3 folds, MackemPlus1 calls.
Nice flop, but it's still only bottom set and this is why I decide to donk into the shorty. I fully expect this clown to have AAxx or four broadway cards and equally expect him to jam. The benefit of this is that most Omadonks with a set of Js or 8s will now re-raise, allowing me to fold if that is what one of the big stacks does.
Turn: 4s ($92, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $92)
River: 6d ($92, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $92)
Results:
Final pot: $92
MackemPlus1 balance 271.64 bet 39 collected 89 net 50 3c 3s Ad Jd
MP1 balance 0 lost 39 Js 9h Ks Th
None of the big stacks call and I'm certain I'm good against shorty and have an easy call.
Back to the $300k guarantee and a hand I wasn't happy with, although it could be ROT after I saw the flop.
Blinds: t150/t300
10 players
Stack sizes:
UTG: t5372
UTG+1: t2110
UTG+2: t6090
MP1: t5466
MP2: t11270
MackemPlus1: t15130
CO: t4260
Button: t20064
SB: t14297
BB: t20663
Pre-flop: (10 players) MackemPlus1 is MP3 with qs ah
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises all-in t2110, 2 folds, MP2 calls t2110 (pot was t2560), MackemPlus1 ??????????
Is this an autocall, iso-raise or fold?
Knowing what I now know about MP2 after playing against them for a while I would have re-raised, but that's easy to say with hindsight.
Be interested to hear in your thoughts?
*Track 14, Bona Drag
Friday, 21 March 2008
Maladjusted*
Played my first blogger thingy tournament on Full Tilt last night, a PL08 tournament I expected to do well in. Sadly I quickly got bored by the incredibly slow pace of play and started playing badly, eventually busting out with top two pair and weak low draw in an unraised pot.
Villain had limped on the button with 2558 and flopped bottom set on a K95 flop with 2 hearts. Most people are truly horrible at this game but, strangely enough, it can be harder to simply "outplay" them given the nature of the game.
In short, I need to readjust my game and go back to the style which used to serve me well in the nightly PL08 tourney on Party - play only premium hands early on, including strong hi-only hands, and simply wait out the donks.
On another note, been trying the step tourneys on Party again (for cash, not WSOP seats) and currently at level 5. Level 6 is where the money is handed out, $500 for fifth up to $2000 for 1st. Not bad for an initial outlay of $3.
*title track from another decent Morrissey solo album
Villain had limped on the button with 2558 and flopped bottom set on a K95 flop with 2 hearts. Most people are truly horrible at this game but, strangely enough, it can be harder to simply "outplay" them given the nature of the game.
In short, I need to readjust my game and go back to the style which used to serve me well in the nightly PL08 tourney on Party - play only premium hands early on, including strong hi-only hands, and simply wait out the donks.
On another note, been trying the step tourneys on Party again (for cash, not WSOP seats) and currently at level 5. Level 6 is where the money is handed out, $500 for fifth up to $2000 for 1st. Not bad for an initial outlay of $3.
*title track from another decent Morrissey solo album
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