Yay I just proved that even good players can win these donkaments:-) $15 4 me
Monday, December 8, 2008
Winning Freerolls Yay!
Yay I just proved that even good players can win these donkaments:-) $15 4 me
Monday, October 6, 2008
A few thoughts...
This is going to be kind of a downer post, so if you're reading for crazy bad beats or recent success, you better not get your hopes up. Over the last few weeks I've been really considering how much time and energy I devote to poker, but live and online. At the start of the year, as you'll know if you a) know me; or b) read the blog; I had an absolute blinder of a year at the start of 2008. I turned an investment of maybe $400 into close to $13-14k.
Now that is sick money, and I know the first thought that comes to mind is "what did you do with the money"? And I want to say mind your own business, but its my blog so I better divulge things. I spent most of my profit on poker. I also went to various places around Australia spending recklessly and I even did some stupid degen gambles at the casino when I was "living the high life." I stayed at hotels that were expensive, just because I could. To be honest, and I'm not going to lie, it was actually great, and I regret very little of it. It was nice feeling rich after growing up not exactly poor but really knowing and noticing every little dollar that was spent. It was nice to just let it all go, have a $60 meal at a restaurant if I wanted, to peel $100 off my stack at the casino and give it to a mate to have fun with, but what did I gain from it?
I guess you could say I learnt to value more things than money, which I guess is true. And I got a lot of good experiences, including trips to Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Newcastle etc. where I had a lot of fun times. I don't regret these things. And I don't even regret not having the hefty bank account I once had.
What I do regret is the feelings that maybe all the people that I argued with about poker being gambling were right. And maybe I'm losing. I was on top for a while, but now I'm down with the plebs looking for my next big score. I've played 30,000 hands on my iPoker bankroll experiment and I'm down around $200 at 20NL. It's kind of demoralising, but moreso, what it tells me is that maybe I'm just not the poker god that I thought I was. Over the last 6 months it's been a real ego check to continually study and analyse my game and realise how many gaping flaws I have. I'd post my Holdem Manager statistics on the site but really they're abysmal. I play a decent solid reg game but I guess I have too many leaks for me to maintain a constant winrate. My goals of being like durrr and CTS are dissipating fast.
So what should I do? I love the game of poker but lately I feel like a fish. And I know I'm not. I've read a tonne of books, I play a decent aggressive game, I browse 2+2 strat threads, I talk about hands with my mates constantly, and I've really done a lot of ego checking lately. I used to think I was the best player in the region, but now I just feel like some donk who bit off more than he can chew.
Now I know this sounds very self-loathing and depressed, and I just want to clear up that I'm not going to go loco or anything, I'm just having a lot of conflicting feelings about what I want to do with my poker career. I used to think I had a red hot go at giving professional poker playing a go but now while I've been juggling it with other commitments like uni and stuff, it seems like it's a giant hassle. I love the game still but I need to start to break away and get involved in other things i.e. my uni work and the few jobs that I have lined up.
This is the most rambley of all my blogs ever, basically it's because it's 4am, I've had another night of playing poker and getting semi-deep in tourneys for no real outcome, and this is the bubble I played that just sent me over the edge. It's too stressful at the current time, I guess.
Anyway. I'm moving house soon and starting a new job so maybe this will have a positive effect for me, a new lease on life and all that. But for now guys, keep playing, keep reading, keep doing whatever you do that makes you happy I guess. Because I sure as hell am going to try.
Peace
Styles
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Teams Event - Close but no cigar
On Sunday most of the Bathurst poker players drove up to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains to take part in the Poker Challenge teams event. We fielded around ten teams including:
Me (Styles) and Benny
Matty P and Sarah
Tamim and Vicky
Mark and Jenny Cowie
Teddy and Jarron
Casper and Jodie
Other locals we play with from Lithgow included Brent and Paz, Di and Kerry (sp), Spyros and Scuba, amongst others. There were 67 teams and every team was allowed a rebuy and add-on. Players started with 4000 in chips, played for 1 hr, then combined stacks and took it round-for-round.
As soon as I'd played 2 hands on my first table, I became aware that the competition was very very soft. Except for a few players I could see, my whole table was full of absolute donks, to put it nicely. I didn't berate them or try to argue with them, but they were saying some of the dumbest poker advice I'd ever heard so I just tried to keep my mouth shut. Some memorable examples:
"Small pockets win a lot more than big pockets."
"I knew he was barkin!" (When I got called down with pocket deuces on an A9496 board and I showed Ks7s for a busted flush)
"I won't call all ins without a good hand." (After calling 2 people's shoves preflop with pocket fives)
"I had to call." (With two red Tens on a QJ4 two spade board.)
But I just sat down and watched. I learned pretty early not to bluff because these guys were playing fucking so terribly and calling so lightly it made my brain bleed. I took a fairly decent sized pot early on when I raised a naked Ace in late position and spiked an Ace on the river after C-betting the K-high flop. I couldn't value bet the river since it brought AKJTx on the board and I figured the Queen could potentially be check raising. However, it was K2 (nice preflop call) who I sucked out on and I ended the first level with around 5250, and Benny had around 6750 giving us the nice neat 12k stack plus we took the addon for 5k and started after the break with blinds 100-200.
After that... it pretty much went quite well. Benny and I had a lot of faith in each other's plays and I saw Benny play the best aggressive poker I've seen out of him (though I've not seen him play tourneys too much). I found it to be very intense to play in the teams-swap structure and I was more nervous watching Benny play than when I played myself. When I was playing I just tuned everything out and listened to the iPod but when I watched Benny play my stack I got more nervous as we got closer to the money.
At one point I caught up to our table and Benny was in a hand against Jodie and the pot was pretty sizeable on the flop. The flop was along the lines of T64 rainbow and Ben bet half our stack into Jodie. I stood behind Jodie and she picked up her cards. I nearly shat myself when I saw she had QQ! I was praying Benny wasn't going to get too attached to JJ or whatever (or that he had KK+), but as I expected her to reraise and Benny to be in a tough spot, she folded? I couldn't wait to ask Benny what he had in that hand because I wanted to tell him he made her lay down the big overpair. He later told me that he put her on QQ and he did in fact have KK.
When I got back in the blinds were fairly big, 500/1000 and the average stack had to be close to 16-17k. We had a good stack of around 28.5k that I built up into 35k just through basic preflop aggression. There were not too many hands of note except a few races we took (mainly 60/40s where we were the 60, our Ax vs KJ etc.) and we definitely won more than our fair share.
Tamim took a big hit with a dominated Ace on an A high flop and he and Vicky were out in 10th. The final table had two Bathurst teams, Jarron and Teddy and Benny and I. There were a tonne of short stacks at the final table with blinds 10k/20k, and Benny had first Final Table shift. He disposed of the shortstacks pretty well, even calling like 3 all ins with Ts4s (a move I wholeheartedly agree with, he had 2 live cards and a chance to bust 3 of the 9 players without risking more than 10% of our stack). When it came my turn to play, we were 5 handed and on the bubble. Teddy was on the shortstack after Jarron's buttonsteal with Kc4c ran into the 77 of the bigblind, but he ground his way back by shoving A9 and beating KQ.
Ted was the bubble boy however, when he shoved QJ and lost to the (new) bigstack's AK. I played about 4 uninteresting hands 4-handed before passing the baton over to Benny who knocked out the lady in 4th. I was disgusted when Benny called her all in and she did the dramatic slowroll, showing one J and peeling the cards to see JJ. My annoyance was abated however when Benny re-slow rolled her showing QQ. We held and moved to 3 handed play. By now the blinds were excruciating and Benny shoved on the button with Q7 and ran into Di's AJ. The 7 hit on a miracle river and we were down to HU.
This is when we offered not a chop; but a payout restructure. The pay was extremely top heavy to meet the $2000 g'teed first prize, so I simply suggested we change the payouts from:
1st: $2000
2nd: $800
to
1st: $1800
2nd: $1000
which IMO is still a little too much for first. However our opponents thought we were trying to chop 50/50 and kept rejecting the deal before we got a chance to explain. So I shrugged and Benny began the HU match with around 300k in chips to their 550k.
Benny played solidly and we saw very few flops. The time for me to tag in came and I was really pumped because Benny was playing by far the better of the two opponents and I figured if I got just a little lucky I could beat this lady heads up. Benny gave me around 380k to work with and before long I had busted it up to 450k without showdown.
On one hand, my opponent limped HU and I checked 78os in the BB. The flop came AK4 rainbow and she immediately led 40k. Easiest spot to raise in the world since an A or a King always raises there, and I made it 120k quickly and confidently, and she folded and I showed my 8 high. This seemed to annoy her, which was of course my objective. I took the chiplead that hand, moving up to 550k.
A few hands later, my biggest mistake of the day came. We had folded blinds back and forth for a while and I decided to open Q6os for a raise to 80k. She said, "ten" and I looked up confused. The lady fumbled with her chips and I asked "Ten what". She looked extremely nervous and couldn't seem to articulate exactly how much she wanted to raise it to. Eventually the dealer claimed it to be a re-raise of 60k. So given that this woman was clearly very nervous I called with the intention to take it away on most flops.
The flop was Jc9s4s. She was first to act and said "ten" again and put in ten 10k chips worth 100,000. I thought for a moment and saw she had left her self with 240,000 behind, and went with my read that she was incredibly weak preflop. I moved all in without hesitating. As I did it, she slumped in her chair and I figured I had the hand worked out fine. After a bit she goes, "OK, I call", and I must have done the exact same slump. I show my pathetic Q6 and she shows the worst possible hand I could see, QsJs, for top pair, flush draw, and dominating kicker. I don't think she realised exactly how strong her hand was here, which is why she played the hand in that fashion, or maybe my reads of weakness just came from the fact that this lady was clearly very nervous playing for this amount of money.
I wrote that hand trying to think of how spewy it must have looked to all my friends (in particularly Benny) but I still stand behind my reasoning. I'm not saying I played the hand well or badly, but I usually trust my instinct and it was just kind of unlucky that my opponent got slapped in the face by the flop. Benny said afterwards that he was fine with how I played it (even though I'm sure he wouldn't have made this move) and although I'm disappointed we didn't win the $2k, I liked how I played overall during the day, a very patient solid game and I was equally impressed with Benny, and also Jarron, Teddy, Tamim and Vicky's performances, all top ten finishers which is a good result for us Bathurst players.
I'm back on my Online grind as well, just a quick update, my $500 roll is down to $430 after around 1.3k hands of 20nl, but I plan to play a lot more than that, plus I have around $25 of rakeback to collect so hopefully when I get in some time I can put in some decent multitabling hours.
I'm also thinking of starting another blog, a personal one that's not related to poker, because I feel I've kind of inundated the Hats blog with too much of my own stuff, when the Hats need to be represented equally in this blog, poker-wise.
I'll link my new blog soon this week, I'm going to be absolutely fucking swamped with uni work but hopefully I can update it in my spare time.
Peace out
Styles
PS! Congratulations to both LaLa (blog link on the right) who went deep in the APL TOC, and of course to Luckyshades (ditto) who came 9th in the Vic Champs main event for $17k!
Me (Styles) and Benny
Matty P and Sarah
Tamim and Vicky
Mark and Jenny Cowie
Teddy and Jarron
Casper and Jodie
Other locals we play with from Lithgow included Brent and Paz, Di and Kerry (sp), Spyros and Scuba, amongst others. There were 67 teams and every team was allowed a rebuy and add-on. Players started with 4000 in chips, played for 1 hr, then combined stacks and took it round-for-round.
As soon as I'd played 2 hands on my first table, I became aware that the competition was very very soft. Except for a few players I could see, my whole table was full of absolute donks, to put it nicely. I didn't berate them or try to argue with them, but they were saying some of the dumbest poker advice I'd ever heard so I just tried to keep my mouth shut. Some memorable examples:
"Small pockets win a lot more than big pockets."
"I knew he was barkin!" (When I got called down with pocket deuces on an A9496 board and I showed Ks7s for a busted flush)
"I won't call all ins without a good hand." (After calling 2 people's shoves preflop with pocket fives)
"I had to call." (With two red Tens on a QJ4 two spade board.)
But I just sat down and watched. I learned pretty early not to bluff because these guys were playing fucking so terribly and calling so lightly it made my brain bleed. I took a fairly decent sized pot early on when I raised a naked Ace in late position and spiked an Ace on the river after C-betting the K-high flop. I couldn't value bet the river since it brought AKJTx on the board and I figured the Queen could potentially be check raising. However, it was K2 (nice preflop call) who I sucked out on and I ended the first level with around 5250, and Benny had around 6750 giving us the nice neat 12k stack plus we took the addon for 5k and started after the break with blinds 100-200.
After that... it pretty much went quite well. Benny and I had a lot of faith in each other's plays and I saw Benny play the best aggressive poker I've seen out of him (though I've not seen him play tourneys too much). I found it to be very intense to play in the teams-swap structure and I was more nervous watching Benny play than when I played myself. When I was playing I just tuned everything out and listened to the iPod but when I watched Benny play my stack I got more nervous as we got closer to the money.
At one point I caught up to our table and Benny was in a hand against Jodie and the pot was pretty sizeable on the flop. The flop was along the lines of T64 rainbow and Ben bet half our stack into Jodie. I stood behind Jodie and she picked up her cards. I nearly shat myself when I saw she had QQ! I was praying Benny wasn't going to get too attached to JJ or whatever (or that he had KK+), but as I expected her to reraise and Benny to be in a tough spot, she folded? I couldn't wait to ask Benny what he had in that hand because I wanted to tell him he made her lay down the big overpair. He later told me that he put her on QQ and he did in fact have KK.
When I got back in the blinds were fairly big, 500/1000 and the average stack had to be close to 16-17k. We had a good stack of around 28.5k that I built up into 35k just through basic preflop aggression. There were not too many hands of note except a few races we took (mainly 60/40s where we were the 60, our Ax vs KJ etc.) and we definitely won more than our fair share.
Tamim took a big hit with a dominated Ace on an A high flop and he and Vicky were out in 10th. The final table had two Bathurst teams, Jarron and Teddy and Benny and I. There were a tonne of short stacks at the final table with blinds 10k/20k, and Benny had first Final Table shift. He disposed of the shortstacks pretty well, even calling like 3 all ins with Ts4s (a move I wholeheartedly agree with, he had 2 live cards and a chance to bust 3 of the 9 players without risking more than 10% of our stack). When it came my turn to play, we were 5 handed and on the bubble. Teddy was on the shortstack after Jarron's buttonsteal with Kc4c ran into the 77 of the bigblind, but he ground his way back by shoving A9 and beating KQ.
Ted was the bubble boy however, when he shoved QJ and lost to the (new) bigstack's AK. I played about 4 uninteresting hands 4-handed before passing the baton over to Benny who knocked out the lady in 4th. I was disgusted when Benny called her all in and she did the dramatic slowroll, showing one J and peeling the cards to see JJ. My annoyance was abated however when Benny re-slow rolled her showing QQ. We held and moved to 3 handed play. By now the blinds were excruciating and Benny shoved on the button with Q7 and ran into Di's AJ. The 7 hit on a miracle river and we were down to HU.
This is when we offered not a chop; but a payout restructure. The pay was extremely top heavy to meet the $2000 g'teed first prize, so I simply suggested we change the payouts from:
1st: $2000
2nd: $800
to
1st: $1800
2nd: $1000
which IMO is still a little too much for first. However our opponents thought we were trying to chop 50/50 and kept rejecting the deal before we got a chance to explain. So I shrugged and Benny began the HU match with around 300k in chips to their 550k.
Benny played solidly and we saw very few flops. The time for me to tag in came and I was really pumped because Benny was playing by far the better of the two opponents and I figured if I got just a little lucky I could beat this lady heads up. Benny gave me around 380k to work with and before long I had busted it up to 450k without showdown.
On one hand, my opponent limped HU and I checked 78os in the BB. The flop came AK4 rainbow and she immediately led 40k. Easiest spot to raise in the world since an A or a King always raises there, and I made it 120k quickly and confidently, and she folded and I showed my 8 high. This seemed to annoy her, which was of course my objective. I took the chiplead that hand, moving up to 550k.
A few hands later, my biggest mistake of the day came. We had folded blinds back and forth for a while and I decided to open Q6os for a raise to 80k. She said, "ten" and I looked up confused. The lady fumbled with her chips and I asked "Ten what". She looked extremely nervous and couldn't seem to articulate exactly how much she wanted to raise it to. Eventually the dealer claimed it to be a re-raise of 60k. So given that this woman was clearly very nervous I called with the intention to take it away on most flops.
The flop was Jc9s4s. She was first to act and said "ten" again and put in ten 10k chips worth 100,000. I thought for a moment and saw she had left her self with 240,000 behind, and went with my read that she was incredibly weak preflop. I moved all in without hesitating. As I did it, she slumped in her chair and I figured I had the hand worked out fine. After a bit she goes, "OK, I call", and I must have done the exact same slump. I show my pathetic Q6 and she shows the worst possible hand I could see, QsJs, for top pair, flush draw, and dominating kicker. I don't think she realised exactly how strong her hand was here, which is why she played the hand in that fashion, or maybe my reads of weakness just came from the fact that this lady was clearly very nervous playing for this amount of money.
I wrote that hand trying to think of how spewy it must have looked to all my friends (in particularly Benny) but I still stand behind my reasoning. I'm not saying I played the hand well or badly, but I usually trust my instinct and it was just kind of unlucky that my opponent got slapped in the face by the flop. Benny said afterwards that he was fine with how I played it (even though I'm sure he wouldn't have made this move) and although I'm disappointed we didn't win the $2k, I liked how I played overall during the day, a very patient solid game and I was equally impressed with Benny, and also Jarron, Teddy, Tamim and Vicky's performances, all top ten finishers which is a good result for us Bathurst players.
I'm back on my Online grind as well, just a quick update, my $500 roll is down to $430 after around 1.3k hands of 20nl, but I plan to play a lot more than that, plus I have around $25 of rakeback to collect so hopefully when I get in some time I can put in some decent multitabling hours.
I'm also thinking of starting another blog, a personal one that's not related to poker, because I feel I've kind of inundated the Hats blog with too much of my own stuff, when the Hats need to be represented equally in this blog, poker-wise.
I'll link my new blog soon this week, I'm going to be absolutely fucking swamped with uni work but hopefully I can update it in my spare time.
Peace out
Styles
PS! Congratulations to both LaLa (blog link on the right) who went deep in the APL TOC, and of course to Luckyshades (ditto) who came 9th in the Vic Champs main event for $17k!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Hey kidlets
Thought it might be nice to make a little post so it doesnt look like Stylez does all the work:-) Haha funny stuff in orange a couple of fridays ago but Stylez nailed it on the head when he said the APL ( GayPL ) ban might as well be for life. I mean a bit of harmless banter never hurt anyone, except one certain individual and his gigantic bodyguard. Now why should we be punished for their stupidity???
Anyway, moving right along, Stylez has decided to stake me $50 to start a roll playing exclusively HU SnGs. Hopefully there will be plenty of posts coming up with pictures of me rolling in all the plebs money. Till next time PEAS......... and carrots
Anyway, moving right along, Stylez has decided to stake me $50 to start a roll playing exclusively HU SnGs. Hopefully there will be plenty of posts coming up with pictures of me rolling in all the plebs money. Till next time PEAS......... and carrots
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Update part 2 or "How Styles Got Banned from APL"
Well, I'm sitting here in my room about to go fucking insane because of the lack of sound on my computer. I would just format it because my computer clearly needs it but I'm getting a new computer in like 4 days so I just have to wait it out.... snore. SO I figured I'd keep you campers happy and update the second part of my blog. (On a side note, I just noticed I've been running this blog for over a year. How's that for dedication?)
Online happenings
Well, I was planning on starting my bankroll this weekend but I decided to wait until I get my new computer in a few days and multitable grind on delicious dual monitor goodness. I'm going to be playing on hansapoker.com under the username BWStyles, probably grinding 20NL with occasional shots at 50NL with my 1k BR. I hope to get in 20k hands at 20NL before moving up and making it a full fledged 50NL roll. I need to do this for my own sanity and to prove to myself that I can stick to a bankroll and make consistent money without taking ridiculous gambool shots.
My true goal is to be at 200NL by the end of the year but we'll see how the swings of my bankroll handle that before I consider moving up without at least a roll of 6-7k. My other goal is to be rolled for a preliminary Aussie Millions donkament because I love crown and I'd just love to go to the Millions.
The APL fiasco
Well, it's official. I'm officially banned from the Australian Poker League for... nothing at all. I went down to play the $11 game at the Park yesterday when Craigie informed me that the system wouldn't let me register. So, even though its technically a temp 1-month ban it may as well be lifetime because I've had it with APL's ridiculous tournaments, their blatant misappropriation (ugly word right) of the players' money in prize pools, and their crappy 15minute donk structure (300/600 to 500/1000 to 1000/2000 in the space of half an hour... hmm great tourney there APL) that furthers the gimps' distorted views of themselves that they can indeed play poker and better than most when they get lucky with A9 vs pocket 4s.
Ok enough ranting. Here's how the shenanigans went down. I went over to Orange to play in APL's $1200 first-prize guarantee for the sole reason that since I won the Park Hotel $11 game 2 weeks ago I got a free chipup/addon (worth $22) so I decided to make an appearance and try get lucky ONE TIME.
Before anything started I noticed that pretty much everyone had bought in for double ($44) and that approximately 75% of people added on the extra 3k for $22 extra at the break. At a tournament of roughly 80 runners, one would assume that if the average player spent $50 (taking into account players who had free chip-up cards and those who didnt rebuy) the prize pool would be around the $4,000 mark. However, apparently a guarantee means something different at APL then at other tourneys, because though they guaranteed a prize pool of something like $2750, even if they make over the guarantee, the prize pool stays the same. However, no-one seems to know where the other $1250 goes. I got told in the very first of these APL events that the money would "trickle down" each month so that the prize pool would remain guaranteed for the next game and even increase if the numbers stayed solid.
This was all well and good, but I said at the time (and still say) what about the players who travelled a long way to get to this special hyped up tournament. Players came from Bathurst, Orange, Parkes, Dubbo, Blayney, and even as far as Oberon. They might not be able to make such a long drive each month so why should money go from their pockets to a prize pool they'll have no chance of winning?
There was also the stellar argument that that explanation was, in fact, a lie. The APL I went to the other night (where the bannings occurred) had a prize pool of:
$1200 for first
$500 + poker table for second
$254 third, or something
etc. etc. with the final table all getting at least $100. That is actually a DECREASE in the prize pool from the very first of these chipup/addon games where the first prize was $1500! And I know there was overlay the first time, they had a similar amount of runners and they had a similar amount of rebuys. So where was the money going. Bringing these logical inconsistencies up to Craigie and Boylo who were both hosting the event was probably one of the sparks that made Craigie write me into his report later in the evening that would eventually get me banned from APL. That, and the fact that I work for NPL, I suppose.
Ok, enough ranting again. What happened on the night where I got banned was, I drove out to Orange with Matty, Sarah and Vicky because I had the $22 chip up card that I'd won and I thought fuck it, why waste it even though the tourney is terribad. When we got there we found that the stack size had decreased from 5000 chips per $22 to 3000, basically forcing everyone into the addon. I had a fairly decent stack and chopped at a lot of pots early on, I won't go over any interesting hands because there weren't particularly many, just standard raise pf, c-bet, and either take it down or muck it when the players show strength. No particularly tricky spots. I ended up busting with AK when I shoved PF with 17k and blinds 1k/2k and the button limper, an average weak-tight APL nit, calls with AT and spikes the ten on the flop. (Her explanation: "You bluff too much.") Anyway this isn't a bad beat story post, so movin' on.
I wanted to leave as soon as everyone busted but the twins wanted to watch Sauro (the lone Bathurst representative left) at the final table. So we stayed around for that and Matty and I decided if we were going to be watching these players we'd have a few beers.
It got to Heads-up when I was on my 3rd beer, so I wasn't even tipsy really. I've decided not to name names (though most locals will know what I'm talking about), but a player who normally is quite good natured if a little egocentric at times, was a bit drunk and started lording it up throughout most of the final table. He thought he was Phil F'n Ivey dammit. Singing along with his ipod, claiming he was going to take it all down, he was clearly quite chuffed with himself that he made the final table. Now Sarah and Vicky had been subtly antagonising this guy all night, just pretty much ripping on him, how he was acting, and how he was playing. That's pretty much what the twins do at the table, I think it keeps them amused or something :p.
On one particular heads up hand, the quiet guy who was playing the loud and boisterous player for the $1200 first prize was on the SB and considering what to do with his hand. The loud player said to him, "If you limp in, I'm putting you all in."
The guy considered for a moment and decided to limp in. The loud player immediately shoved. The quiet guy again considered before making a fold. The loud player obnoxiously threw over K4os, saying "I told you I'm going to put you all in. I'm going to bully you every time" (or something to that effect).
Sure enough, a few hands later, with the chipstacks at pretty much even (280,000: 270,000), a chop was offered but declined. The loud player said, "it's fine, I'm going to win the $1300 (?) anyway."
Almost the very next hand, the loud player looks at his hand in the SB, and says, "I'm all in."
The BB looks down at his hand and snap calls, rolling over two red AA. The boisterous SB shows J4, clearly annoyed, but starts rallying about how he can "crack 'em".
The AA holds up (justice?) and Matty yells out, "Go cash in your $1300, [name]!" Now, this is the first thing Matty has said to this guy all night, but because he was probably wound up at the twin girls needling him all night, he just snaps.
"Come say that to me outside you cunt!" He says. We've heard this player make a similar remark at NPL (but not normally this drunk). We begin to laugh and then the player, in drunken bravado, rushes over like he's going to punch Matty.
This is the part where I committed my horrible sin that got me banned from APL. I stepped in front of my friend, placed up my hand, and said "Settle down, [name]."
The guy goes "Fuck off Styles," and continues to push towards Matty. At this point the guy's drunken friend who is about 7 fuckin foot tall came over and started to have a go at me. I told him in no uncertain terms to piss off and that I wasn't interested in starting fights. At this point there's an uproar with security coming to restrain these drunks and the barman and the head of the club coming up to see what the fuss was about.
Just as we think the drunken player has been restrained he breaks away from security, runs to throw an awkward-looking punch at Matty, and ends up tripping and smashing a table stacked with crockery.
As the fight starters get taken down stairs, Craigie says to Matty, the twins and I that we're all getting written up in a report by him and we're going to be banned from APL. The twins go off about how they started the fight and Matty and I did nothing but Craigie doesn't listen. The Barman points to Matty and I and says "You're right, you're right," because he saw that we did sweet F. A. to start this fight except for one jocular comment from Matty. We leave (having to be escorted by security) and drive home.
Now, this is kind of the gay part. When I went to register at APL at the Park I get told I can't play. I accept it, I only went to play to see my poker buddies really, so I move off. As I'm walking out Vicky goes to walk in and I say "Don't bother, we're banned." She goes and tries to sign in and is accepted immediately.
So this is my public statement. Fuck you, APL. Fuck you, drunks in Orange. I lost any respect I may have had for either of you that night. You guys are what, 35? And you're trying to start a blue with two 20 year old kids. Grow the fuck up. And fuck you, Craigie. I thought you were my fucking friend but its clear you go and ban me for this because you don't like me because I work for NPL and questioned your ridiculous tourney structure rather than because I stood in front of one of my best friends when he was about to get attacked by a violent drunk. Don't ban the girls for starting the shit, just ban Matty and I for watching your joke of a final table. I bet the drunk doesn't even have a permanent ban from APL, even though your rules explicitly state that drunken and disorderly peoplen are not to be allowed to play in APL events, and this is the reason why. Because they get owned by AA and get violent to innocent bystanders in the crowd.
Anyway, that's off my chest. Whether I get bashed by these guys next time I go to Orange to play or run an NPL event remains to be seen.
Until next time guys, stay clean.
Peace
Styles
Online happenings
Well, I was planning on starting my bankroll this weekend but I decided to wait until I get my new computer in a few days and multitable grind on delicious dual monitor goodness. I'm going to be playing on hansapoker.com under the username BWStyles, probably grinding 20NL with occasional shots at 50NL with my 1k BR. I hope to get in 20k hands at 20NL before moving up and making it a full fledged 50NL roll. I need to do this for my own sanity and to prove to myself that I can stick to a bankroll and make consistent money without taking ridiculous gambool shots.
My true goal is to be at 200NL by the end of the year but we'll see how the swings of my bankroll handle that before I consider moving up without at least a roll of 6-7k. My other goal is to be rolled for a preliminary Aussie Millions donkament because I love crown and I'd just love to go to the Millions.
The APL fiasco
Well, it's official. I'm officially banned from the Australian Poker League for... nothing at all. I went down to play the $11 game at the Park yesterday when Craigie informed me that the system wouldn't let me register. So, even though its technically a temp 1-month ban it may as well be lifetime because I've had it with APL's ridiculous tournaments, their blatant misappropriation (ugly word right) of the players' money in prize pools, and their crappy 15minute donk structure (300/600 to 500/1000 to 1000/2000 in the space of half an hour... hmm great tourney there APL) that furthers the gimps' distorted views of themselves that they can indeed play poker and better than most when they get lucky with A9 vs pocket 4s.
Ok enough ranting. Here's how the shenanigans went down. I went over to Orange to play in APL's $1200 first-prize guarantee for the sole reason that since I won the Park Hotel $11 game 2 weeks ago I got a free chipup/addon (worth $22) so I decided to make an appearance and try get lucky ONE TIME.
Before anything started I noticed that pretty much everyone had bought in for double ($44) and that approximately 75% of people added on the extra 3k for $22 extra at the break. At a tournament of roughly 80 runners, one would assume that if the average player spent $50 (taking into account players who had free chip-up cards and those who didnt rebuy) the prize pool would be around the $4,000 mark. However, apparently a guarantee means something different at APL then at other tourneys, because though they guaranteed a prize pool of something like $2750, even if they make over the guarantee, the prize pool stays the same. However, no-one seems to know where the other $1250 goes. I got told in the very first of these APL events that the money would "trickle down" each month so that the prize pool would remain guaranteed for the next game and even increase if the numbers stayed solid.
This was all well and good, but I said at the time (and still say) what about the players who travelled a long way to get to this special hyped up tournament. Players came from Bathurst, Orange, Parkes, Dubbo, Blayney, and even as far as Oberon. They might not be able to make such a long drive each month so why should money go from their pockets to a prize pool they'll have no chance of winning?
There was also the stellar argument that that explanation was, in fact, a lie. The APL I went to the other night (where the bannings occurred) had a prize pool of:
$1200 for first
$500 + poker table for second
$254 third, or something
etc. etc. with the final table all getting at least $100. That is actually a DECREASE in the prize pool from the very first of these chipup/addon games where the first prize was $1500! And I know there was overlay the first time, they had a similar amount of runners and they had a similar amount of rebuys. So where was the money going. Bringing these logical inconsistencies up to Craigie and Boylo who were both hosting the event was probably one of the sparks that made Craigie write me into his report later in the evening that would eventually get me banned from APL. That, and the fact that I work for NPL, I suppose.
Ok, enough ranting again. What happened on the night where I got banned was, I drove out to Orange with Matty, Sarah and Vicky because I had the $22 chip up card that I'd won and I thought fuck it, why waste it even though the tourney is terribad. When we got there we found that the stack size had decreased from 5000 chips per $22 to 3000, basically forcing everyone into the addon. I had a fairly decent stack and chopped at a lot of pots early on, I won't go over any interesting hands because there weren't particularly many, just standard raise pf, c-bet, and either take it down or muck it when the players show strength. No particularly tricky spots. I ended up busting with AK when I shoved PF with 17k and blinds 1k/2k and the button limper, an average weak-tight APL nit, calls with AT and spikes the ten on the flop. (Her explanation: "You bluff too much.") Anyway this isn't a bad beat story post, so movin' on.
I wanted to leave as soon as everyone busted but the twins wanted to watch Sauro (the lone Bathurst representative left) at the final table. So we stayed around for that and Matty and I decided if we were going to be watching these players we'd have a few beers.
It got to Heads-up when I was on my 3rd beer, so I wasn't even tipsy really. I've decided not to name names (though most locals will know what I'm talking about), but a player who normally is quite good natured if a little egocentric at times, was a bit drunk and started lording it up throughout most of the final table. He thought he was Phil F'n Ivey dammit. Singing along with his ipod, claiming he was going to take it all down, he was clearly quite chuffed with himself that he made the final table. Now Sarah and Vicky had been subtly antagonising this guy all night, just pretty much ripping on him, how he was acting, and how he was playing. That's pretty much what the twins do at the table, I think it keeps them amused or something :p.
On one particular heads up hand, the quiet guy who was playing the loud and boisterous player for the $1200 first prize was on the SB and considering what to do with his hand. The loud player said to him, "If you limp in, I'm putting you all in."
The guy considered for a moment and decided to limp in. The loud player immediately shoved. The quiet guy again considered before making a fold. The loud player obnoxiously threw over K4os, saying "I told you I'm going to put you all in. I'm going to bully you every time" (or something to that effect).
Sure enough, a few hands later, with the chipstacks at pretty much even (280,000: 270,000), a chop was offered but declined. The loud player said, "it's fine, I'm going to win the $1300 (?) anyway."
Almost the very next hand, the loud player looks at his hand in the SB, and says, "I'm all in."
The BB looks down at his hand and snap calls, rolling over two red AA. The boisterous SB shows J4, clearly annoyed, but starts rallying about how he can "crack 'em".
The AA holds up (justice?) and Matty yells out, "Go cash in your $1300, [name]
"Come say that to me outside you cunt!" He says. We've heard this player make a similar remark at NPL (but not normally this drunk). We begin to laugh and then the player, in drunken bravado, rushes over like he's going to punch Matty.
This is the part where I committed my horrible sin that got me banned from APL. I stepped in front of my friend, placed up my hand, and said "Settle down, [name]
The guy goes "Fuck off Styles," and continues to push towards Matty. At this point the guy's drunken friend who is about 7 fuckin foot tall came over and started to have a go at me. I told him in no uncertain terms to piss off and that I wasn't interested in starting fights. At this point there's an uproar with security coming to restrain these drunks and the barman and the head of the club coming up to see what the fuss was about.
Just as we think the drunken player has been restrained he breaks away from security, runs to throw an awkward-looking punch at Matty, and ends up tripping and smashing a table stacked with crockery.
As the fight starters get taken down stairs, Craigie says to Matty, the twins and I that we're all getting written up in a report by him and we're going to be banned from APL. The twins go off about how they started the fight and Matty and I did nothing but Craigie doesn't listen. The Barman points to Matty and I and says "You're right, you're right," because he saw that we did sweet F. A. to start this fight except for one jocular comment from Matty. We leave (having to be escorted by security) and drive home.
Now, this is kind of the gay part. When I went to register at APL at the Park I get told I can't play. I accept it, I only went to play to see my poker buddies really, so I move off. As I'm walking out Vicky goes to walk in and I say "Don't bother, we're banned." She goes and tries to sign in and is accepted immediately.
So this is my public statement. Fuck you, APL. Fuck you, drunks in Orange. I lost any respect I may have had for either of you that night. You guys are what, 35? And you're trying to start a blue with two 20 year old kids. Grow the fuck up. And fuck you, Craigie. I thought you were my fucking friend but its clear you go and ban me for this because you don't like me because I work for NPL and questioned your ridiculous tourney structure rather than because I stood in front of one of my best friends when he was about to get attacked by a violent drunk. Don't ban the girls for starting the shit, just ban Matty and I for watching your joke of a final table. I bet the drunk doesn't even have a permanent ban from APL, even though your rules explicitly state that drunken and disorderly peoplen are not to be allowed to play in APL events, and this is the reason why. Because they get owned by AA and get violent to innocent bystanders in the crowd.
Anyway, that's off my chest. Whether I get bashed by these guys next time I go to Orange to play or run an NPL event remains to be seen.
Until next time guys, stay clean.
Peace
Styles
Monday, July 28, 2008
Update on happenings.
Well, it's been around 2 months since I wrote in this blog, and not for lack of things to write about I suppose, but more laziness/uni work. Here's a few things I'll be writing about now, as much for the benefit of you guys so that you know what you're going to be reading, as it is for my benefit so I don't forget to include something...
Ok, here we go.
Satellite Poker
As you guys may or may not know, I'm a poster/lurker on an Aussie poker forum called www.pokertalk.com.au. I used to post more (when I was bragging about pokerstars wins - -where have they gone?) but now I just log in and read occasionally. Anyway, I saw a league called Satellite Poker advertised on there that was going to have a Wollongong game with a 2-day structure and a fairly cool prize pool. So I asked any of the guys if they wanted to come, most of them were busy, but Nick and Teddy were keen to come so we drove down and got our $10-a-night rooms in the pub (which weren't bad). I met a couple of "usernames" as it were and most people were really friendly to us (albeit amazed that we drove from Bathurst to play).
Anyway, we have a 15k stack so I'm fairly certain I'll have a pretty decent edge against an average pub-poker field. However a lot of people at the event appeared to be fairly serious about the game (which is good for me because I usually hear whining at pub poker events from people who are just there to drink and have a good time) so I recalculated a little bit, even though I saw more than a few "gimps" (Benny's word for donks who think they're balla poker players because they had a better player explain pot odds to them and now they have to lecture the table with why they're so good at poker) sitting at the various tables.
I win a few hands early on (including the first hand with AJos on an A high flop - winning the first hand should surely have been a sign of impending doom). Anyway my stack was at around 14.2k when this doozy of a hand comes up.
The blinds are at 75/150 and I'm UTG+1 with AhAs. The UTG folds, I consider and simply limp into the pot. (TARP am I right?) The guy next to me, Franky, a former Satellite Poker winner, nice guy and clearly a skilled poker player, makes a sizeable raise to 600. It folds around to a guy in sunnies on the button who I was still wondering was a good player or not, who repops to 1200. Fairly sizeable action at this blind levels and I'm sitting here with the Bullets and a 14k stack. Great situation, right?
Well, anyway. Here's where I define there hands. I think for about 2 minutes and decide a shove is so spewy with these stacks and re-repop to 4200, leaving myself with a neat 10k behind.
Franky thinks for a good 3 minutes and eventually makes a crying fold. I put him on maybe TT or AK. Sunglasses guy, who I heard someone call the Baron, looks at me incredulously and shows his mate his hand, and does one thing I really didn't expect him to do: flat-calls.
So at this point I'm just hoping no K or Q flops. I throw up in my mouth a little bit as the flop comes KJ4. I look at him and he looks at the flop and then stares directly at me. Ugh. I can't check because I do not want QQ making a big play at me and I can't shove because that's just asking for KK to make a snap call. So I'm resigned to the fact that I might lose half my stack, so I bet 4000 and he pretty much instantly moves all in. I throw AA away face up and he shows me KK, and I'm left with 6000 around 25 minutes into the game. Sick.
Anyway. Two hands later I'm in the small blind with JJ. There's 4 limpers and its around to me, and I raise to 725. The big blind (Franky) calls pretty quickly and one other limper calls. The rest fold and I take a flop of A84. Demoralised, I check. Franky bets 1400 and the other limper folds and I fold JJ face up again and he shows me AK.
So now I've got around 5k and I'm starting to get annoyed. I'm on the cutoff 2 hands later and I get JJ AGAIN. There's a min-raise to 300 (ugh) and it gets around to a player on the hijack who makes it 1000. I think about re-repopping here then I realise that is a stupid play and a cold call here is probably best. One limper calls and we see a 3 way pot which is around 3300 in size.
The flop is a good one (finally), 232. First to act checks and the preflop re-raiser bets 1000. I tank for a good 5 minutes before I realised I have to shove here, if he has QQ good luck to him. So I move my 4125 into the middle, the preflop minraiser folds quickly and this guy begins to cut out 4000 and says, "well I guess I have to." I get annoyed and say, "well if you got Queens you got me bro." At this point, his hand freezes and I give myself a mental punch in the face as I realise he didn't specify a call. As soon as he freezes up I realise he doesn't have me beat.
The ridiculous thing is, at this point, he thinks for 4 or so minutes before eventually calling and flipping up -- of all things -- pocket 4s. (Yes, he repopped pre...) I look at my 11k pot and just ask for a Jack. Not much... just a jack. The turn of course is a scare card, dropping an Ace giving him 4 more outs. Sickeningly the third 4 drops on the riv and I am first out of this tourney that I drove 3 hours to play in.
Nick did fairly well, making day 2, and congrats to Teddy who made the final table (but didn't cash unfortunately).
Casino Canberra
WARNING: Contains Luckbox hands.
In the 2nd last week of the holidays I went to Canberra to mooch at my mate Phil's place who had gotten a cadetship at Centrelink head office and was being put up in a balla apartment in the middle of the CBD of a suburb called Tuggeranong. I went down there just to mooch pretty much but I did go to Canberra casino to play poker a few times and I thought I'd share a few interesting hands.
The game was a $200-$500 buyin with $5/$5 blinds.
On my first table, there was one fish, I'll call him Mr. Crazy, who every hand, regardless of position, raised it to $25. He would never fold preflop, rarely fold on the flop (or river -- I saw him do a [perhaps good?] call on a board of 67672 with K5os and win against some old dude who bluffed a busted straight). I was pretty much waiting to stack him. He raised it to $30 in his blinds, he just put 5 red chips in whenever it was his turn to act, and on every flop, did the same C-bet of $25 (no matter the size of the pot). Amazingly, he won the first 7 or so hands. One lady bet $25 into like $175 on the river and he called and she just mucked. I was ready to make some money.
Anyway, on my first BB, 2 people limp and Mr. Crazy raises to, you guessed it, $25. Two people call and I call with 7d9c on the big blind (priced in, right? :p) and 1 limper calls. The flop is okay, I guess: 5d6h8d. So I flop the nutstraight and check first to act. The original limper checks and this guy (who I'm expecting will bet his usual $25) actually bets a frisky $110. It folds to me and I think for about a minute and decide that theres no play better than a shove of my remaining $365 so I just go on ahead and put it all in there. It folds to this guy who SNAP CALLS and I'm pretty much expecting he has the same hand. However he shows 88 for top set and I fade the board pair to win a fairly healthy 975 dollar pot early on.
Two hands later I'm on the button with AcKc. The UTG player makes it $20 and it folds to Mr. Crazy who makes it $40. It folds around to me and I consider flatting here but I really want to take the pot heads up with Mr. Crazy so I pop it to $140.
Then it gets ugly. UTG raiser flat calls my $140 (uh-oh) and Mr. Crazy moves in for an additional $170 (uh-oh). I obviously cant fold AKs in a 900 dollar pot so I make the call. UTG folds with an annoyed look on his face (later said he had AJ... um yeah). Mr. Crazy shows KK and I'm more relieved that he doesnt have the bullets. I call for an Ace and luckbox one on the flop, A58. I'm already counting the pot as the turn drops a Jack ball but of course (the other players always get justice, WHERES MY JUSTICE), the case King balls on the river and I'm back down to around $580.
I decide to loosen up about 2 hours into the game, and when an old rock limps in UTG+2 I decide to raise to $25 with QsTs. I get 4 callers (lol cashaments am I right?) including the limper (Mr. Rock) and the flop comes Jc8s4d. I've got a fairly trifling holding with a backdoor flushdraw and a gutshot, but I fire the mandatory CBet of $50 when checked to me. It folds to Mr. Rock who min-repops me to $100. A check-raise from an old casino rock is something to strike fear into the blood of most but I figure I might be able to take the pot away from him with a nice semi-bluff card on the turn (like a spade). Anyway I flat call and spike my luckbox 9 on the turn. He checks and I bet $225. He moves in for $275 and of course I call. He shows JJ (oops), and again I fade my board pair and take in another nice pot. I cash off the table about an hour after (with some other decent hands) for around $1250 after buying in for $400.
The next day I go back and I only play for around 45 minutes. I buy in for $300 after playing some Casino War and I'm really in a gambly mood. I call a donk's raise with Jh5h early on when I'm in the BB and flop nice with J85. I bet $65, donk calls, turn is an ugly 9 and I shove like $135 and he folds.
The nice hand that came up was where I looked down at Qc7c and decided to raise in honour of Matty P (its his favourite hand). I make it $25 and get 5 callers.
So I flop huge (again -- btw I don't always get flops like this, I swear. I just ran good in Canberra :D) with Jc8c9c. They check to me and I lead $85. I get 2 callers. I ask for no club on the turn.
The turn is a club... the Tc for my delicious 6-card straight flush. They check to me again and I bet $105. One guy folds and one guy calls, this old guy who I was fairly certain was a tough, smart opponent.
The river drops the 7d which puts the 789TJ straight on the board. He checks to me and I faux-tank for a few minutes before shoving my $195 in. He thinks for a while, at one point asking the dealer to count the pot. I'm praying he calls and I put him on the Kc. After a while he calls and shows me the AcJd (wow) and I show him the straight flush and take down the $725.
I cash out from the table soon after since I don't feel I'm playing very well and realised if I keep gambling I'll go bust. So total profit from poker for the trip was around $1300. Begone, busto bug!
I KNOW I have two more sections to update (including the nearly getting in a fight at Orange APL) but I do have to go to uni so I'll have to let this blog entry finish here, and I'll try update the rest during the week!
Peace
Styles
- Satellite Poker and the Wollongong trip.
- Casino Canberra
- Online Action (or lack thereof)
- The Hats nearly getting into a biff at Orange Ex-Services
Ok, here we go.
Satellite Poker
As you guys may or may not know, I'm a poster/lurker on an Aussie poker forum called www.pokertalk.com.au. I used to post more (when I was bragging about pokerstars wins - -where have they gone?) but now I just log in and read occasionally. Anyway, I saw a league called Satellite Poker advertised on there that was going to have a Wollongong game with a 2-day structure and a fairly cool prize pool. So I asked any of the guys if they wanted to come, most of them were busy, but Nick and Teddy were keen to come so we drove down and got our $10-a-night rooms in the pub (which weren't bad). I met a couple of "usernames" as it were and most people were really friendly to us (albeit amazed that we drove from Bathurst to play).
Anyway, we have a 15k stack so I'm fairly certain I'll have a pretty decent edge against an average pub-poker field. However a lot of people at the event appeared to be fairly serious about the game (which is good for me because I usually hear whining at pub poker events from people who are just there to drink and have a good time) so I recalculated a little bit, even though I saw more than a few "gimps" (Benny's word for donks who think they're balla poker players because they had a better player explain pot odds to them and now they have to lecture the table with why they're so good at poker) sitting at the various tables.
I win a few hands early on (including the first hand with AJos on an A high flop - winning the first hand should surely have been a sign of impending doom). Anyway my stack was at around 14.2k when this doozy of a hand comes up.
The blinds are at 75/150 and I'm UTG+1 with AhAs. The UTG folds, I consider and simply limp into the pot. (TARP am I right?) The guy next to me, Franky, a former Satellite Poker winner, nice guy and clearly a skilled poker player, makes a sizeable raise to 600. It folds around to a guy in sunnies on the button who I was still wondering was a good player or not, who repops to 1200. Fairly sizeable action at this blind levels and I'm sitting here with the Bullets and a 14k stack. Great situation, right?
Well, anyway. Here's where I define there hands. I think for about 2 minutes and decide a shove is so spewy with these stacks and re-repop to 4200, leaving myself with a neat 10k behind.
Franky thinks for a good 3 minutes and eventually makes a crying fold. I put him on maybe TT or AK. Sunglasses guy, who I heard someone call the Baron, looks at me incredulously and shows his mate his hand, and does one thing I really didn't expect him to do: flat-calls.
So at this point I'm just hoping no K or Q flops. I throw up in my mouth a little bit as the flop comes KJ4. I look at him and he looks at the flop and then stares directly at me. Ugh. I can't check because I do not want QQ making a big play at me and I can't shove because that's just asking for KK to make a snap call. So I'm resigned to the fact that I might lose half my stack, so I bet 4000 and he pretty much instantly moves all in. I throw AA away face up and he shows me KK, and I'm left with 6000 around 25 minutes into the game. Sick.
Anyway. Two hands later I'm in the small blind with JJ. There's 4 limpers and its around to me, and I raise to 725. The big blind (Franky) calls pretty quickly and one other limper calls. The rest fold and I take a flop of A84. Demoralised, I check. Franky bets 1400 and the other limper folds and I fold JJ face up again and he shows me AK.
So now I've got around 5k and I'm starting to get annoyed. I'm on the cutoff 2 hands later and I get JJ AGAIN. There's a min-raise to 300 (ugh) and it gets around to a player on the hijack who makes it 1000. I think about re-repopping here then I realise that is a stupid play and a cold call here is probably best. One limper calls and we see a 3 way pot which is around 3300 in size.
The flop is a good one (finally), 232. First to act checks and the preflop re-raiser bets 1000. I tank for a good 5 minutes before I realised I have to shove here, if he has QQ good luck to him. So I move my 4125 into the middle, the preflop minraiser folds quickly and this guy begins to cut out 4000 and says, "well I guess I have to." I get annoyed and say, "well if you got Queens you got me bro." At this point, his hand freezes and I give myself a mental punch in the face as I realise he didn't specify a call. As soon as he freezes up I realise he doesn't have me beat.
The ridiculous thing is, at this point, he thinks for 4 or so minutes before eventually calling and flipping up -- of all things -- pocket 4s. (Yes, he repopped pre...) I look at my 11k pot and just ask for a Jack. Not much... just a jack. The turn of course is a scare card, dropping an Ace giving him 4 more outs. Sickeningly the third 4 drops on the riv and I am first out of this tourney that I drove 3 hours to play in.
Nick did fairly well, making day 2, and congrats to Teddy who made the final table (but didn't cash unfortunately).
Casino Canberra
WARNING: Contains Luckbox hands.
In the 2nd last week of the holidays I went to Canberra to mooch at my mate Phil's place who had gotten a cadetship at Centrelink head office and was being put up in a balla apartment in the middle of the CBD of a suburb called Tuggeranong. I went down there just to mooch pretty much but I did go to Canberra casino to play poker a few times and I thought I'd share a few interesting hands.
The game was a $200-$500 buyin with $5/$5 blinds.
On my first table, there was one fish, I'll call him Mr. Crazy, who every hand, regardless of position, raised it to $25. He would never fold preflop, rarely fold on the flop (or river -- I saw him do a [perhaps good?] call on a board of 67672 with K5os and win against some old dude who bluffed a busted straight). I was pretty much waiting to stack him. He raised it to $30 in his blinds, he just put 5 red chips in whenever it was his turn to act, and on every flop, did the same C-bet of $25 (no matter the size of the pot). Amazingly, he won the first 7 or so hands. One lady bet $25 into like $175 on the river and he called and she just mucked. I was ready to make some money.
Anyway, on my first BB, 2 people limp and Mr. Crazy raises to, you guessed it, $25. Two people call and I call with 7d9c on the big blind (priced in, right? :p) and 1 limper calls. The flop is okay, I guess: 5d6h8d. So I flop the nutstraight and check first to act. The original limper checks and this guy (who I'm expecting will bet his usual $25) actually bets a frisky $110. It folds to me and I think for about a minute and decide that theres no play better than a shove of my remaining $365 so I just go on ahead and put it all in there. It folds to this guy who SNAP CALLS and I'm pretty much expecting he has the same hand. However he shows 88 for top set and I fade the board pair to win a fairly healthy 975 dollar pot early on.
Two hands later I'm on the button with AcKc. The UTG player makes it $20 and it folds to Mr. Crazy who makes it $40. It folds around to me and I consider flatting here but I really want to take the pot heads up with Mr. Crazy so I pop it to $140.
Then it gets ugly. UTG raiser flat calls my $140 (uh-oh) and Mr. Crazy moves in for an additional $170 (uh-oh). I obviously cant fold AKs in a 900 dollar pot so I make the call. UTG folds with an annoyed look on his face (later said he had AJ... um yeah). Mr. Crazy shows KK and I'm more relieved that he doesnt have the bullets. I call for an Ace and luckbox one on the flop, A58. I'm already counting the pot as the turn drops a Jack ball but of course (the other players always get justice, WHERES MY JUSTICE), the case King balls on the river and I'm back down to around $580.
I decide to loosen up about 2 hours into the game, and when an old rock limps in UTG+2 I decide to raise to $25 with QsTs. I get 4 callers (lol cashaments am I right?) including the limper (Mr. Rock) and the flop comes Jc8s4d. I've got a fairly trifling holding with a backdoor flushdraw and a gutshot, but I fire the mandatory CBet of $50 when checked to me. It folds to Mr. Rock who min-repops me to $100. A check-raise from an old casino rock is something to strike fear into the blood of most but I figure I might be able to take the pot away from him with a nice semi-bluff card on the turn (like a spade). Anyway I flat call and spike my luckbox 9 on the turn. He checks and I bet $225. He moves in for $275 and of course I call. He shows JJ (oops), and again I fade my board pair and take in another nice pot. I cash off the table about an hour after (with some other decent hands) for around $1250 after buying in for $400.
The next day I go back and I only play for around 45 minutes. I buy in for $300 after playing some Casino War and I'm really in a gambly mood. I call a donk's raise with Jh5h early on when I'm in the BB and flop nice with J85. I bet $65, donk calls, turn is an ugly 9 and I shove like $135 and he folds.
The nice hand that came up was where I looked down at Qc7c and decided to raise in honour of Matty P (its his favourite hand). I make it $25 and get 5 callers.
So I flop huge (again -- btw I don't always get flops like this, I swear. I just ran good in Canberra :D) with Jc8c9c. They check to me and I lead $85. I get 2 callers. I ask for no club on the turn.
The turn is a club... the Tc for my delicious 6-card straight flush. They check to me again and I bet $105. One guy folds and one guy calls, this old guy who I was fairly certain was a tough, smart opponent.
The river drops the 7d which puts the 789TJ straight on the board. He checks to me and I faux-tank for a few minutes before shoving my $195 in. He thinks for a while, at one point asking the dealer to count the pot. I'm praying he calls and I put him on the Kc. After a while he calls and shows me the AcJd (wow) and I show him the straight flush and take down the $725.
I cash out from the table soon after since I don't feel I'm playing very well and realised if I keep gambling I'll go bust. So total profit from poker for the trip was around $1300. Begone, busto bug!
I KNOW I have two more sections to update (including the nearly getting in a fight at Orange APL) but I do have to go to uni so I'll have to let this blog entry finish here, and I'll try update the rest during the week!
Peace
Styles
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Back to PubNubbing It
Howdy campers, since I last wrote there's been a bunch of crazy shenanigans and happenings, some of which are good and some of which are quite horrible. The main thing that happened is I pretty much went busto. I turned my $1k~ish online roll into $300 in like a week with a combination of running bad and playing well over my BR. So in order to teach myself a lesson I withdrew $300 USD (which used to be like A$400 but is now like... A$305) and it came to me from freaking click2pay in Euros so it's going to take like a month to clear in my bank account. So I get to enjoy the glories of being busto... which is somewhat humbling after being quite RObusto all year.
So anyway. Here I am deciding to Ferguson it and try to get somewhat of a roll back. I freerolled my way into Tuesday night's NPL $15 deepstack at the Aaron because I drove Benny (the TD) to the event, and managed a solid 2nd. I had enough chips at headsup not to chop because we were deep enough and the other player Adam, although a solid pub poker player, probably had a disadvantage against an aggressive player like me. He began to get visibly annoyed with my button raises immediately and as soon as I made my standard raise with 77, he came over the top immediately and I called and I had to win the race with QJ and he spiked that nasty ol' J bomb on the turn. So that was 2nd for a mere $110, not bad for a freeroll though imo.
The next night (last night) I played the Oxford in Bathurst with most of the Hats playing as well. Fairly early on I took a comfortable chiplead against Teddy when he overplayed his Ks9s on a KhQc8s flop against my KdKc. I grew my stack with my usual style of medium pot poker (revolutionary, I know) and after getting quite lucky in a 30k pot when I shoved AcKs on a board of 6c8c9c against two red 9s I made it to the final table again with quite a solid stack.
The shorties dropped off and I made my one bad play of the night with 8c9c. It folded to me in MP and I came in for a raise to 3k when blinds were 500/1k. It folded to the BB who was a very poor player from what I had seen and he flat called. (His previous final table actions were minraising twice, once with A5os and calling a shove of John a solid player who tabled QQ) and once with something that he didn't show.
The flop is beautiful, or so I think, when it comes 7sTc4c giving me the OESD and flush draw. Obviously a great flop to move in over the top of whatever he bets. But stupidly, he just shoves all his chips in the middle for like 17k into a 7k pot. I had around 21k left so this would cripple me but I was just so annoyed that he unknowingly made the best move against my massive draw that I called him. He tabled 9sTs for top pair and doing the pokerstove equities just now I see that I was actually ahead (I thought I might have been a slight underdog).
Board: 4c 7s Tc
Dead:
equity win tie pots won pots tied
Hand 0: 46.566% 45.76% 00.81% 453 8.00 { Ts9s }
Hand 1: 53.434% 52.63% 00.81% 521 8.00 { 9c8c }
Anyway, so maybe it wasn't so bad. So I had monster chips for a while, and I started getting played back on when I did my 3x so I moved it down to 2.5x opens and eventually just called a guy with JTos when he shoved over me when I button raised if only to let the table know I wasn't just going to raise/fold to their gay little shoves anymore. He had AK and won the flip but I didn't get shoved on quite as much after that.
I was down to the felt after one hand against a noob who once again outplayed me without knowing how or why. I had Kc7s in the BB and it folded to him 5 handed and he limped in. I decided to check since I knew he wasn't in the folding mood preflop. The board runs out AdJd8d and it goes check check. The turn pairs the J and he checks and I bet 10k, half his remaining stack. He flat calls and pretty much I am screwed. The river is the 8c making the board AJJ88 and I am of course playing the board. He thinks and pushes his last 10k into the pot and I actually have to tank. I don't see him with a flush or a J here very often and I don't want to be bluffed off a chop pot which is like 65k for 10k. I figure his range has an 8 here around 30% of the time and the other 70% is a hand like mine that became the board when the river dropped. I'll have 33k left if I fold and 23k left if I call with blinds at 3k/6k. Being that these guys don't really understand odds I figure I can probably shove my stack back to healthiness if I call, so I call praying to chop. He of course shows me some filthy 8 like 78os and rakes in a nice pot and after paying the SB next hand I was sitting on a meager 20k.
I shovebot my way back up to around 44k and I take a flop in the SB 4 handed with 7d9d. The flop is 78J. I immediately just shove into 3 runners and the BB folds and noob calls. I figure I'm beat but he tables AsTc? So I'm dodging a 9 or an Ace and the board turns a Q and rivers the T, and Benny goes to push the board towards noob before I point out my straight.
Anyway, we eventually get headsup, noob and I, and 2nd hand in its all over. He has me outchipped, limps on the button and I look at A4os on the BB and decide to raise, realise I can't raise anything other than all in effectively so I just shove. He calls pretty quickly with Kd4d and spikes the old K, winning the match and giving me my second consecutive second place in a row. But I did make $200 in the last two nights so that's something to be positive about definitely, and lets see how I can Ferguson my way to mega cash in the near future :D.
Peace
Styles
So anyway. Here I am deciding to Ferguson it and try to get somewhat of a roll back. I freerolled my way into Tuesday night's NPL $15 deepstack at the Aaron because I drove Benny (the TD) to the event, and managed a solid 2nd. I had enough chips at headsup not to chop because we were deep enough and the other player Adam, although a solid pub poker player, probably had a disadvantage against an aggressive player like me. He began to get visibly annoyed with my button raises immediately and as soon as I made my standard raise with 77, he came over the top immediately and I called and I had to win the race with QJ and he spiked that nasty ol' J bomb on the turn. So that was 2nd for a mere $110, not bad for a freeroll though imo.
The next night (last night) I played the Oxford in Bathurst with most of the Hats playing as well. Fairly early on I took a comfortable chiplead against Teddy when he overplayed his Ks9s on a KhQc8s flop against my KdKc. I grew my stack with my usual style of medium pot poker (revolutionary, I know) and after getting quite lucky in a 30k pot when I shoved AcKs on a board of 6c8c9c against two red 9s I made it to the final table again with quite a solid stack.
The shorties dropped off and I made my one bad play of the night with 8c9c. It folded to me in MP and I came in for a raise to 3k when blinds were 500/1k. It folded to the BB who was a very poor player from what I had seen and he flat called. (His previous final table actions were minraising twice, once with A5os and calling a shove of John a solid player who tabled QQ) and once with something that he didn't show.
The flop is beautiful, or so I think, when it comes 7sTc4c giving me the OESD and flush draw. Obviously a great flop to move in over the top of whatever he bets. But stupidly, he just shoves all his chips in the middle for like 17k into a 7k pot. I had around 21k left so this would cripple me but I was just so annoyed that he unknowingly made the best move against my massive draw that I called him. He tabled 9sTs for top pair and doing the pokerstove equities just now I see that I was actually ahead (I thought I might have been a slight underdog).
Board: 4c 7s Tc
Dead:
equity win tie pots won pots tied
Hand 0: 46.566% 45.76% 00.81% 453 8.00 { Ts9s }
Hand 1: 53.434% 52.63% 00.81% 521 8.00 { 9c8c }
Anyway, so maybe it wasn't so bad. So I had monster chips for a while, and I started getting played back on when I did my 3x so I moved it down to 2.5x opens and eventually just called a guy with JTos when he shoved over me when I button raised if only to let the table know I wasn't just going to raise/fold to their gay little shoves anymore. He had AK and won the flip but I didn't get shoved on quite as much after that.
I was down to the felt after one hand against a noob who once again outplayed me without knowing how or why. I had Kc7s in the BB and it folded to him 5 handed and he limped in. I decided to check since I knew he wasn't in the folding mood preflop. The board runs out AdJd8d and it goes check check. The turn pairs the J and he checks and I bet 10k, half his remaining stack. He flat calls and pretty much I am screwed. The river is the 8c making the board AJJ88 and I am of course playing the board. He thinks and pushes his last 10k into the pot and I actually have to tank. I don't see him with a flush or a J here very often and I don't want to be bluffed off a chop pot which is like 65k for 10k. I figure his range has an 8 here around 30% of the time and the other 70% is a hand like mine that became the board when the river dropped. I'll have 33k left if I fold and 23k left if I call with blinds at 3k/6k. Being that these guys don't really understand odds I figure I can probably shove my stack back to healthiness if I call, so I call praying to chop. He of course shows me some filthy 8 like 78os and rakes in a nice pot and after paying the SB next hand I was sitting on a meager 20k.
I shovebot my way back up to around 44k and I take a flop in the SB 4 handed with 7d9d. The flop is 78J. I immediately just shove into 3 runners and the BB folds and noob calls. I figure I'm beat but he tables AsTc? So I'm dodging a 9 or an Ace and the board turns a Q and rivers the T, and Benny goes to push the board towards noob before I point out my straight.
Anyway, we eventually get headsup, noob and I, and 2nd hand in its all over. He has me outchipped, limps on the button and I look at A4os on the BB and decide to raise, realise I can't raise anything other than all in effectively so I just shove. He calls pretty quickly with Kd4d and spikes the old K, winning the match and giving me my second consecutive second place in a row. But I did make $200 in the last two nights so that's something to be positive about definitely, and lets see how I can Ferguson my way to mega cash in the near future :D.
Peace
Styles
Thursday, May 22, 2008
OK, I guess I should update while sober... right?
Styles here. All those who read this blog are probably under the impression that the Hats were all killed in a horrible grease fire of some sort. But we're still here plugging away. There's a couple of things to report on, so I'll get into it!
MELBOURNE:
In early March Benny, Matty, Shandog, Phil and I all embarked on a journey to Melbourne for three things: Drinking, Poker, and Comedy. And not necessarily in that order.
The first night we decided to get drunk and see whatever comedy shows we could. But first we had to have our dinner in a cafe/diner in Swanston street, near the Hi Fi bar. We were pretty drunk and as this video shows, we found the jukebox to be a fine entertainment source:
That night I also went to Crown Casino for the first time, and of course, loved it in my drunken state.. I popped all the money in my wallet ($135) onto a $2/$3 table and started playing, a bit hazy because obv I was drunk and just having a good time in Melbourne. I had one hand where I called a $35 bet on the turn with AT and the board reading A822 and I got overcalled by a 3rd player in the hand. The river was a T and the first bettor bet $55, which I then reraised all in for like $100 more and the overcaller called for like his last $45. The original bettor mucked AJ faceup and I apologised for drawing out on him, collected my $400 pot and left the table because even I was drunk enough to realise I wasn't playing that well.
The next day we just got as much comedy in as we could handle, and we moved to our ballin apartments in South Yarra. I also noticed that there was a poker tourney on that day at crown with a $100 buy in. First prize was $2200 so of course I had a crack. I had a massive hand early on where I limped UTG with AA, and this old guy went to reraise but looked at me suspiciously and just called. A LP guy raised and I reraised, and the old guy made the look of a crying call so I suspected he had a monster but he figured I had him beat. The LP guy flatted as well.
I wasn't sure if I liked the flop of AJ3, since I figured I was unlikely to get any action, however I checked, the old guy led out, the LP raiser shoved (??) and I called after hollywooding a tad. The old man painfully let go of AK face up. (nice laydown amirite?) The LP guy had JJ of course and he bricked giving me a fairly solid stack early on.
I remember a young-ish lady sitting down at my table and I immediately classified her as probably a tight passive fish. Sue me. I was, of course, right, except she turned out to be a calling station. She minraised on my BB at blinds 150/300 and another lady in late called. I called with the 2s3s. The flop was Q45, with the Q and 5 of spades. I led out for 3/4 pot and the raiser called and it was headsup after the lady in late folded. The turn was the 8s and I bet 3/4 pot again and when she minraised me I immediately shoved. She called tabling KQ, lol. So I was chipleader at my table when there were around 40 left (out of 108 starters).
I coasted along to the final table, simply stealing blinds to maintain my stack with no action hands. I remember this one bluff I ran with like 59os when this guy raised my BB. I had just sat down at the table and it folded to the small blind who had me just outchipped. He 3x'ed the bet and I 9x'ed it (just to let him know I wasn't some passive fish who he could steal from) and he called. The flop came QT4. He led out and I called. The turn was a 6 and he checked and I bet around 1/2 the pot. He looked at me for about a minute and folded JJ face up. It took all my willpower not to laugh at him and after deciding whether or not to show I figured this close to the bubble it would definitely pay to have a dirty tiltbox to my right, so I showed him the 9 high bluff and he lost it.
"Are you some kind of fucking moron? How can you possibly call a raise with that shit? I can't believe how bad some of the players in these fucking tournaments are." Blah blah blah etc etc.
Anyway, it gets to the actual bubble: 10 left. This guy gets into a pot with some other guy, raises and calls a reraise preflop, flop is AT4 and check raises all in and looks so sour when the other guy calls with AJ. The tilty guy goes nuts and gives this spiel about how its "the only move I made all game" (he had like J4 btw) and enjoys the sweet success of the bubble.
Anyway it's the final table and there's been one KO so far so I'm guaranteed $367. I pick up AsJs and just shove it in since the table average is around 16BB and I have like 13BB. It folds to this old passive calling station who has been playing just terrible and he makes the call and I show AsJs, expecting it to be crushing (since the guy was calling pretty much ATC to defend his blinds). This pot would put me in the chiplead if I won it, and I was fine to see myself up against the 77 of Mr. Station. Of course the poker god decreed that Styles Shalt Not Win a Race LDO, and I busted. But I still had a fairly good time.
A few nights later I bought in (sober this time) to the $2/$3 tables for the max of $200 and had a blinding session. The table wasn't full so I was in my element playing 6 handed against these guys.
I had one blinder: I had QsTs, two people limped and I raised to $15 on the button. The blinds folded and the two limpers called. The flop was Jc9c4h and the first limper lead out $20, which the other limper and I called. The turn was fantastic, the 8h, making my nut straight. Just as I was figuring what way to get action in the pot, the first limper shoves, and the next guy quickly calls! I check my cards again and of course make the call. The river shows the (seemingly) safe 6h and the first guy shows his Js9h for top two. The other guy in the pot is looking for me to show my hand and not want to fuck around with the slowroll I show my nut straight. He looks at me for ages, makes a pained expression and slowrolls the fucking Jh7h for the runner runner flush. God I was annoyed.
But anyway, I ran a big bluff against Mr. Runner Runner and took back a similar pot. I was sitting on around 600 when this hand happened. I had As7s and raised a couple of limpers to $20 on the button. One folded and one called and the flop was QJ4 offsuit. The guy checked and I bet $25 and he called. The turn gave me a flush draw with a 6, and the guy takes the lead and bets $25. As anyone who plays against me knows, I hate having the lead taken away from me, especially by a donk. I raise fairly quickly to $75 and he calls. The river is the Ah, and the guy leads out $75 and I instacall. He sheepishly says "I have nothing..." and doesn't want to show his cards, but flashes a 7 and says "wow" when I show my hand.
I ended up making $800 at poker at Crown and losing $300 at craps. But realistically, I had a ball and it was great, I can't wait to go back there (definitely going for Aussie Millions 2009.)
The Interwebs:
I haven't had much success online since coming back from Melb, going through a $600 downswing at MTTs ranging from $12-$55. I did however, come first in a $33 game on FTP for $1500 while all the hats and some others like LaLa, Steel88, and luckyshades were railing. I'm currently in the process of donking that off obv. I'll also try to update some more, it's good knowing that theres some out there who like reading this!
MELBOURNE:
In early March Benny, Matty, Shandog, Phil and I all embarked on a journey to Melbourne for three things: Drinking, Poker, and Comedy. And not necessarily in that order.
The first night we decided to get drunk and see whatever comedy shows we could. But first we had to have our dinner in a cafe/diner in Swanston street, near the Hi Fi bar. We were pretty drunk and as this video shows, we found the jukebox to be a fine entertainment source:
That night I also went to Crown Casino for the first time, and of course, loved it in my drunken state.. I popped all the money in my wallet ($135) onto a $2/$3 table and started playing, a bit hazy because obv I was drunk and just having a good time in Melbourne. I had one hand where I called a $35 bet on the turn with AT and the board reading A822 and I got overcalled by a 3rd player in the hand. The river was a T and the first bettor bet $55, which I then reraised all in for like $100 more and the overcaller called for like his last $45. The original bettor mucked AJ faceup and I apologised for drawing out on him, collected my $400 pot and left the table because even I was drunk enough to realise I wasn't playing that well.
The next day we just got as much comedy in as we could handle, and we moved to our ballin apartments in South Yarra. I also noticed that there was a poker tourney on that day at crown with a $100 buy in. First prize was $2200 so of course I had a crack. I had a massive hand early on where I limped UTG with AA, and this old guy went to reraise but looked at me suspiciously and just called. A LP guy raised and I reraised, and the old guy made the look of a crying call so I suspected he had a monster but he figured I had him beat. The LP guy flatted as well.
I wasn't sure if I liked the flop of AJ3, since I figured I was unlikely to get any action, however I checked, the old guy led out, the LP raiser shoved (??) and I called after hollywooding a tad. The old man painfully let go of AK face up. (nice laydown amirite?) The LP guy had JJ of course and he bricked giving me a fairly solid stack early on.
I remember a young-ish lady sitting down at my table and I immediately classified her as probably a tight passive fish. Sue me. I was, of course, right, except she turned out to be a calling station. She minraised on my BB at blinds 150/300 and another lady in late called. I called with the 2s3s. The flop was Q45, with the Q and 5 of spades. I led out for 3/4 pot and the raiser called and it was headsup after the lady in late folded. The turn was the 8s and I bet 3/4 pot again and when she minraised me I immediately shoved. She called tabling KQ, lol. So I was chipleader at my table when there were around 40 left (out of 108 starters).
I coasted along to the final table, simply stealing blinds to maintain my stack with no action hands. I remember this one bluff I ran with like 59os when this guy raised my BB. I had just sat down at the table and it folded to the small blind who had me just outchipped. He 3x'ed the bet and I 9x'ed it (just to let him know I wasn't some passive fish who he could steal from) and he called. The flop came QT4. He led out and I called. The turn was a 6 and he checked and I bet around 1/2 the pot. He looked at me for about a minute and folded JJ face up. It took all my willpower not to laugh at him and after deciding whether or not to show I figured this close to the bubble it would definitely pay to have a dirty tiltbox to my right, so I showed him the 9 high bluff and he lost it.
"Are you some kind of fucking moron? How can you possibly call a raise with that shit? I can't believe how bad some of the players in these fucking tournaments are." Blah blah blah etc etc.
Anyway, it gets to the actual bubble: 10 left. This guy gets into a pot with some other guy, raises and calls a reraise preflop, flop is AT4 and check raises all in and looks so sour when the other guy calls with AJ. The tilty guy goes nuts and gives this spiel about how its "the only move I made all game" (he had like J4 btw) and enjoys the sweet success of the bubble.
Anyway it's the final table and there's been one KO so far so I'm guaranteed $367. I pick up AsJs and just shove it in since the table average is around 16BB and I have like 13BB. It folds to this old passive calling station who has been playing just terrible and he makes the call and I show AsJs, expecting it to be crushing (since the guy was calling pretty much ATC to defend his blinds). This pot would put me in the chiplead if I won it, and I was fine to see myself up against the 77 of Mr. Station. Of course the poker god decreed that Styles Shalt Not Win a Race LDO, and I busted. But I still had a fairly good time.
A few nights later I bought in (sober this time) to the $2/$3 tables for the max of $200 and had a blinding session. The table wasn't full so I was in my element playing 6 handed against these guys.
I had one blinder: I had QsTs, two people limped and I raised to $15 on the button. The blinds folded and the two limpers called. The flop was Jc9c4h and the first limper lead out $20, which the other limper and I called. The turn was fantastic, the 8h, making my nut straight. Just as I was figuring what way to get action in the pot, the first limper shoves, and the next guy quickly calls! I check my cards again and of course make the call. The river shows the (seemingly) safe 6h and the first guy shows his Js9h for top two. The other guy in the pot is looking for me to show my hand and not want to fuck around with the slowroll I show my nut straight. He looks at me for ages, makes a pained expression and slowrolls the fucking Jh7h for the runner runner flush. God I was annoyed.
But anyway, I ran a big bluff against Mr. Runner Runner and took back a similar pot. I was sitting on around 600 when this hand happened. I had As7s and raised a couple of limpers to $20 on the button. One folded and one called and the flop was QJ4 offsuit. The guy checked and I bet $25 and he called. The turn gave me a flush draw with a 6, and the guy takes the lead and bets $25. As anyone who plays against me knows, I hate having the lead taken away from me, especially by a donk. I raise fairly quickly to $75 and he calls. The river is the Ah, and the guy leads out $75 and I instacall. He sheepishly says "I have nothing..." and doesn't want to show his cards, but flashes a 7 and says "wow" when I show my hand.
I ended up making $800 at poker at Crown and losing $300 at craps. But realistically, I had a ball and it was great, I can't wait to go back there (definitely going for Aussie Millions 2009.)
The Interwebs:
I haven't had much success online since coming back from Melb, going through a $600 downswing at MTTs ranging from $12-$55. I did however, come first in a $33 game on FTP for $1500 while all the hats and some others like LaLa, Steel88, and luckyshades were railing. I'm currently in the process of donking that off obv. I'll also try to update some more, it's good knowing that theres some out there who like reading this!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
DRUNK POST
Heres the hats, as we ball. drunk. and fucking sweet. Me and shannon drrank a bottle of midoriand a bottle of blue smirnoff vodka. in an hour. shannon hart and matty p drank a dickload of alcohol. because tonight is st pats night in bathrust.not poker. even though we ball at poker, we kick ass at drinking and fucking sluts. thats how we ball, this is how we do. respect us.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Another heater, almost an 8k one!
I just had another good run on stars. I do love these. Started off simple:
PokerStars Tournament #80374360, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $11.00/$1.00
180 players
Total Prize Pool: $1980.00
Tournament started - 2008/03/10 - 09:51:59 (ET)
Dear Willskis,
You finished the tournament in 4th place.
A $158.40 award has been credited to your Real Money account.
You earned 137.60 tournament leader points in this tournament.
For information about our tournament leader board, see our web site at
http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/leader-board/
Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
Then I saw my other tourney coming up, the one I've done well in in the past.
One could say I did well in it again. :D
PokerStars Tournament #80124545, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $40.00/$4.00
150 players
Total Prize Pool: $6000.00
Tournament started - 2008/03/10 - 11:15:00 (ET)
Dear Willskis,
You finished the tournament in 1st place.
A $1,650.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.
You earned 319.02 tournament leader points in this tournament.
For information about our tournament leader board, see our web site at
http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/leader-board/
Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
This whole time I was also in an $8.80 rebuy game. I was doing ok until I started doing VERY well with 50 players left out of 2000.
PokerStars Game #15881086918: Tournament #80160276, $8.00+$0.80 Hold'em
No Limit - Level XVI (2000/4000) - 2008/03/10 - 14:07:55 (ET)
Table '80160276 83' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: psl86 (110582 in chips)
Seat 2: deuces3742 (84689 in chips)
Seat 3: Willskis (103011 in chips)
Seat 4: zVxUmW (5588 in chips)
Seat 5: bittarsolar (86819 in chips)
Seat 6: damu88 (169314 in chips)
Seat 8: narbet (181313 in chips)
Seat 9: F0RTUNE500 (118578 in chips)
psl86: posts the ante 400
deuces3742: posts the ante 400
Willskis: posts the ante 400
zVxUmW: posts the ante 400
bittarsolar: posts the ante 400
damu88: posts the ante 400
narbet: posts the ante 400
F0RTUNE500: posts the ante 400
F0RTUNE500: posts small blind 2000
psl86: posts big blind 4000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Willskis [Kd Ks]
deuces3742: folds
Willskis: raises 6000 to 10000
zVxUmW: calls 5188 and is all-in
Mórenito is connected
bittarsolar: folds
damu88: calls 10000
narbet: folds
F0RTUNE500: folds
psl86: folds
*** FLOP *** [7d 7s 3h]
Willskis: bets 16000
damu88: raises 24000 to 40000
Willskis: raises 52611 to 92611 and is all-in
damu88: calls 52611
*** TURN *** [7d 7s 3h] [Kc]
*** RIVER *** [7d 7s 3h Kc] [8d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Willskis: shows [Kd Ks] (a full house, Kings full of Sevens)
damu88: shows [Tc Th] (two pair, Tens and Sevens)
Willskis collected 194846 from side pot
zVxUmW: shows [5c 5h] (two pair, Sevens and Fives)
Willskis collected 24764 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 219610 Main pot 24764. Side pot 194846. | Rake 0
Board [7d 7s 3h Kc 8d]
Seat 1: psl86 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: deuces3742 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: Willskis showed [Kd Ks] and won (219610) with a full house, Kings full of Sevens
Seat 4: zVxUmW showed [5c 5h] and lost with two pair, Sevens and Fives
Seat 5: bittarsolar folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: damu88 showed [Tc Th] and lost with two pair, Tens and Sevens
Seat 8: narbet (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: F0RTUNE500 (small blind) folded before Flop
That put me at chipleader, and THIS pot further cemented that.
PokerStars Game #15881293133: Tournament #80160276, $8.00+$0.80 Hold'em
No Limit - Level XVI (2000/4000) - 2008/03/10 - 14:17:26 (ET)
Table '80160276 83' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: psl86 (72582 in chips)
Seat 2: deuces3742 (101089 in chips)
Seat 3: Willskis (270810 in chips)
Seat 4: shibashi (144090 in chips)
Seat 5: bittarsolar (114322 in chips)
Seat 7: Mórenito (163714 in chips)
Seat 8: narbet (191713 in chips)
Seat 9: F0RTUNE500 (104578 in chips)
psl86: posts the ante 400
deuces3742: posts the ante 400
Willskis: posts the ante 400
shibashi: posts the ante 400
bittarsolar: posts the ante 400
Mórenito: posts the ante 400
narbet: posts the ante 400
F0RTUNE500: posts the ante 400
narbet: posts small blind 2000
F0RTUNE500: posts big blind 4000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Willskis [Js Qs]
F0RTUNE500 said, "wow u dodged a ton of outs"
psl86: folds
deuces3742: folds
Willskis: raises 6000 to 10000
shibashi: folds
bittarsolar: folds
Mórenito: folds
narbet: calls 8000
F0RTUNE500: folds
*** FLOP *** [Kh Ts Ac]
narbet: checks
Willskis: bets 12000
narbet: calls 12000
*** TURN *** [Kh Ts Ac] [7s]
narbet: checks
Willskis: bets 20000
narbet: calls 20000
*** RIVER *** [Kh Ts Ac 7s] [6s]
narbet: bets 12000
Willskis: raises 40000 to 52000
narbet: calls 40000
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Willskis: shows [Js Qs] (a flush, Queen high)
narbet: mucks hand
Willskis collected 195200 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 195200 | Rake 0
Board [Kh Ts Ac 7s 6s]
Seat 1: psl86 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: deuces3742 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: Willskis showed [Js Qs] and won (195200) with a flush, Queen high
Seat 4: shibashi folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: bittarsolar folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: Mórenito (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: narbet (small blind) mucked [3h Ah]
Seat 9: F0RTUNE500 (big blind) folded before Flop
I would have been overwhelming chipleader with over 700k before I got sucked out in this pot:
PokerStars Game #15881741983: Tournament #80160276, $8.00+$0.80 Hold'em
No Limit - Level XVII (2500/5000) - 2008/03/10 - 14:38:39 (ET)
Table '80160276 83' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: psl86 (194209 in chips)
Seat 2: deuces3742 (139889 in chips)
Seat 3: Willskis (433031 in chips)
Seat 4: shibashi (113390 in chips)
Seat 5: bittarsolar (100622 in chips)
Seat 6: 494H (186122 in chips)
Seat 7: Mórenito (54494 in chips)
Seat 9: F0RTUNE500 (57098 in chips)
psl86: posts the ante 500
deuces3742: posts the ante 500
Willskis: posts the ante 500
shibashi: posts the ante 500
bittarsolar: posts the ante 500
494H: posts the ante 500
Mórenito: posts the ante 500
F0RTUNE500: posts the ante 500
Willskis: posts small blind 2500
shibashi: posts big blind 5000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Willskis [9d 8d]
bittarsolar: folds
494H: folds
Mórenito: folds
F0RTUNE500: folds
psl86: raises 8333 to 13333
deuces3742: folds
Willskis: calls 10833
shibashi: folds
*** FLOP *** [3s 8c 4c]
Willskis: bets 20000
psl86: calls 20000
*** TURN *** [3s 8c 4c] [3h]
Willskis: bets 65000
psl86: raises 95376 to 160376 and is all-in
Willskis: calls 95376
*** RIVER *** [3s 8c 4c 3h] [Ac]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Willskis: shows [9d 8d] (two pair, Eights and Threes)
psl86: shows [As 6c] (two pair, Aces and Threes)
psl86 collected 396418 from pot
F0RTUNE500 said, "ouch"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 396418 | Rake 0
Board [3s 8c 4c 3h Ac]
Seat 1: psl86 showed [As 6c] and won (396418) with two pair, Aces and Threes
Seat 2: deuces3742 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: Willskis (small blind) showed [9d 8d] and lost with two pair, Eights and Threes
Seat 4: shibashi (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: bittarsolar folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: 494H folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: Mórenito folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: F0RTUNE500 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
No great call goes unpunished as usual I guess. :p
I kept grinding for a while but I eventually busted out 17th at 5k/10k blinds for $179.
Not bad for $16 investment, but its still no $5600.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
What a night.
I woke up at 1am after napping at 8pm after working in Orange at NPL.
I played a 12 180-man SNG from my bed while listening to music, lol. I came like 30th, meh.
Then I decided to actually get out of bed, and I just signed up to like 7 different SNGs, from a 1 table $3.40 turbo to another $12 turbo SNG. I was playing around 8 tables at once. I also signed up to the $44 6-max NL game that I won about a month ago. Here's a few notable results.
PokerStars Tournament #76881845, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $15.00/$1.00
9 players
Total Prize Pool: $135.00
Tournament started - 2008/02/09 - 11:00:45 (ET)
Dear Willskis,
You finished the tournament in 1st place.
A $67.50 award has been credited to your Real Money account.
Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
PokerStars Tournament #76881868, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $6.00/$0.50
18 players
Total Prize Pool: $108.00
Tournament started - 2008/02/09 - 11:00:47 (ET)
Dear Willskis,
You finished the tournament in 1st place.
A $43.20 award has been credited to your Real Money account.
Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
PokerStars Tournament #76881932, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $6.00/$0.50
45 players
Total Prize Pool: $270.00
Tournament started - 2008/02/09 - 11:02:55 (ET)
Dear Willskis,
You finished the tournament in 3rd place.
A $42.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.
Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
Thats when things started to get good. While I was playing my $44 6-max game, I jumped in to more $12 180-man SNG's.
PokerStars Tournament #76889046, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $11.00/$1.00
180 players
Total Prize Pool: $1980.00
Tournament started - 2008/02/09 - 12:21:58 (ET)
Dear Willskis,
You finished the tournament in 1st place.
A $594.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.
You earned 275.19 tournament leader points in this tournament.
For information about our tournament leader board, see our web site at
http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/leader-board/
Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
But wait, there's MORE!
I kept grinding and grinding and grinding my 6-max tables, and before I knew it, final table!
I took the chiplead early but when we were down to 4handed the stacks were something like 90k, 85k, 80k and 5k. So I proposed (rather untactfully for the shortstack) a 3-way chop.
We knocked him out and the idea took hold, so we chopped for $1232 each, more than 2nd place money.
Hello Willskis,
Congratulations on your finish in tournament #76741348!
You agreed to a deal at the final table to adjust the payouts as follows:
Official New
Player Payout Payout
========= ======== ======
juventus777 #1 $ 1815.00 $ 1232.00
Willskis #2 $ 1138.50 $ 1232.00
hurley711 #3 $ 742.50 $ 1232.00
When the tournament ended, you were automatically credited with
the official 2nd place payout of $1138.50.
The difference between this amount and the amount to which you agreed
in the deal is $93.50, and this amount has been credited to your account.
You will find this transaction in the cashier history at this time.
Good luck in your next event, and thank you for your participation.
Best Regards,
PokerStars Support Team
And here I was thinking I was on an online downswing.
I played a 12 180-man SNG from my bed while listening to music, lol. I came like 30th, meh.
Then I decided to actually get out of bed, and I just signed up to like 7 different SNGs, from a 1 table $3.40 turbo to another $12 turbo SNG. I was playing around 8 tables at once. I also signed up to the $44 6-max NL game that I won about a month ago. Here's a few notable results.
PokerStars Tournament #76881845, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $15.00/$1.00
9 players
Total Prize Pool: $135.00
Tournament started - 2008/02/09 - 11:00:45 (ET)
Dear Willskis,
You finished the tournament in 1st place.
A $67.50 award has been credited to your Real Money account.
Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
PokerStars Tournament #76881868, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $6.00/$0.50
18 players
Total Prize Pool: $108.00
Tournament started - 2008/02/09 - 11:00:47 (ET)
Dear Willskis,
You finished the tournament in 1st place.
A $43.20 award has been credited to your Real Money account.
Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
PokerStars Tournament #76881932, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $6.00/$0.50
45 players
Total Prize Pool: $270.00
Tournament started - 2008/02/09 - 11:02:55 (ET)
Dear Willskis,
You finished the tournament in 3rd place.
A $42.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.
Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
Thats when things started to get good. While I was playing my $44 6-max game, I jumped in to more $12 180-man SNG's.
PokerStars Tournament #76889046, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $11.00/$1.00
180 players
Total Prize Pool: $1980.00
Tournament started - 2008/02/09 - 12:21:58 (ET)
Dear Willskis,
You finished the tournament in 1st place.
A $594.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.
You earned 275.19 tournament leader points in this tournament.
For information about our tournament leader board, see our web site at
http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/leader-board/
Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
But wait, there's MORE!
I kept grinding and grinding and grinding my 6-max tables, and before I knew it, final table!
I took the chiplead early but when we were down to 4handed the stacks were something like 90k, 85k, 80k and 5k. So I proposed (rather untactfully for the shortstack) a 3-way chop.
We knocked him out and the idea took hold, so we chopped for $1232 each, more than 2nd place money.
Hello Willskis,
Congratulations on your finish in tournament #76741348!
You agreed to a deal at the final table to adjust the payouts as follows:
Official New
Player Payout Payout
========= ======== ======
juventus777 #1 $ 1815.00 $ 1232.00
Willskis #2 $ 1138.50 $ 1232.00
hurley711 #3 $ 742.50 $ 1232.00
When the tournament ended, you were automatically credited with
the official 2nd place payout of $1138.50.
The difference between this amount and the amount to which you agreed
in the deal is $93.50, and this amount has been credited to your account.
You will find this transaction in the cashier history at this time.
Good luck in your next event, and thank you for your participation.
Best Regards,
PokerStars Support Team
And here I was thinking I was on an online downswing.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Impressed yet?
PokerStars Tournament #73423001, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $40.00/$4.00
145 players
Total Prize Pool: $5800.00
Tournament started - 2008/01/17 - 11:15:00 (ET)
Dear Willskis,
You finished the tournament in 1st place.
A $1,595.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.
You earned 313.66 tournament leader points in this tournament.
For information about our tournament leader board, see our web site at
http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/leader-board/
Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Styles Smashes Lightning Poker
I popped in at Star on my way home from Newcastle and I went up to register for 80NL as I had a bit of spare cash. I saw on the side there was a lineup for "Lightning Poker" the PokerPro style electronic card tables. I'd played on it before with Matty when it was just a free trial (and we'd already lost our real buy-in to the 80NL donks).
Anyway, putting my username in as Willskis (duh) I sat down with two random guys who were keen to play. They seemed nice enough and we played for very small pots early on. Then I got
on the SB and flat called, 3 to the flop. The flop was 
rainbow. beautiful. I bet out around 1/2 pot, get called. Turn is 
. I check and the guy bets 17 dollars. I raise to 37 and he immediately shoves. Instacall by me and he goes "do you have a seven" pressing the "show cards" button and showing 
. I'm like "I have a seven and a pair of jacks, is that good?" (gotta love the donk image) and he starts swearing and going off. So like four hands in I have around $155 in my account.
Heres a couple of golden hands.
I limp at a very soft 6-handed table with
. The flop is one that I love, 
. I have overcards, flushdraw, and gutshot. I bet, this guy raises all in and I pretty much instant call. The turn is a blank but the river is a 
. He shows a lower flush draw with a 5 (
) and says "I had you till you rivered me". LOL. Owned.
But here is the hand of the night. This hand is something you'd see in some big budget Hollywood movie. We're around 1.5 hours in. 6-handed. It's limped to me on the button. I raise to $10 with
. 4 callers. The flop is.... wait for it... 
. Yes, you are right. I flopped a straight flush. They check to me and I shove. (JOKES) I check behind obviously. The turn is so hot that I want to have sex with it. 
putting two Aces on the board. Checked to the guy on the cutoff, and he bets $25. I instacall, hoping they will put me on a draw. Unluckily, I get no other customers. When I see the river, I want to cheat on the turn and have a meaningful relationship with the river. It is the . That's right shoppers, I hold on a board of . The best part is, the guy overbets $83 into the pot. I obviously put him all in and he calls, tabling 
! I swear I am not making this up. God I love running good.
So I left Star city with $420 profit after 2.5 hours work. That's how the HATS ball.
Anyway, putting my username in as Willskis (duh) I sat down with two random guys who were keen to play. They seemed nice enough and we played for very small pots early on. Then I got
on the SB and flat called, 3 to the flop. The flop was rainbow. beautiful. I bet out around 1/2 pot, get called. Turn is . I check and the guy bets 17 dollars. I raise to 37 and he immediately shoves. Instacall by me and he goes "do you have a seven" pressing the "show cards" button and showing . I'm like "I have a seven and a pair of jacks, is that good?" (gotta love the donk image) and he starts swearing and going off. So like four hands in I have around $155 in my account.Heres a couple of golden hands.
I limp at a very soft 6-handed table with
. The flop is one that I love, . I have overcards, flushdraw, and gutshot. I bet, this guy raises all in and I pretty much instant call. The turn is a blank but the river is a . He shows a lower flush draw with a 5 () and says "I had you till you rivered me". LOL. Owned.But here is the hand of the night. This hand is something you'd see in some big budget Hollywood movie. We're around 1.5 hours in. 6-handed. It's limped to me on the button. I raise to $10 with
. 4 callers. The flop is.... wait for it... . Yes, you are right. I flopped a straight flush. They check to me and I shove. (JOKES) I check behind obviously. The turn is so hot that I want to have sex with it. putting two Aces on the board. Checked to the guy on the cutoff, and he bets $25. I instacall, hoping they will put me on a draw. Unluckily, I get no other customers. When I see the river, I want to cheat on the turn and have a meaningful relationship with the river. It is the . That's right shoppers, I hold on a board of . The best part is, the guy overbets $83 into the pot. I obviously put him all in and he calls, tabling ! I swear I am not making this up. God I love running good.So I left Star city with $420 profit after 2.5 hours work. That's how the HATS ball.
Monday, January 7, 2008
The epidemic of the "Sick Call"
I've noticed an increasingly large amount of Texas Hold'em players, whether it be live or online, calling on the river with _extremely_ marginal hands when pressed. Examples of pros doing this include Kenny Tran calling with simply top pair on a 4-flush board and Raymond Rahme making a giant river bet call with simply 88 on a board of overcards.
My roommate Tamim is also prone to doing this, and sometimes he makes amazing calls (like the call of my all in river bet on a heavy board with just AQ high when I had 23os bluffing the river) but it also leads to him being very susceptible to value bets.
I personally don't like the sick call, and I never, ever, ever call down without at least a pair, even in Hold'em, when so few people have an actual real hand. I find myself physically unable to call with a high card, even when I'm exceedingly pot committed.
An example of when I should have made a sick call was a few months back when I had Q9 at a $20 homegame 30c/60c at Mark and Jen's house. I got involved with a rather largish pot with Jarron and local donk Teddy.
I was BB and the game was 4 handed. Jarron raised UTG to $3 and Teddy called and I called in the BB. The flop came J84. I checked. Jarron bet $6, Teddy (as usual) called. I check-raised to $16, figuring neither had a very strong hand. Jarron looks mutinous, but because he has Teddy to act behind him he lays his hand down.
Teddy calls my $10 raise, and we go to the turn. It is an ace, and against any player who actually THINKS, it would be a great card to make a nice bluff on, if I had, say, check raised on a hand like AJ, AQ or AK. So it's me first and I bet $30. Teddy thinks for a moment and calls, leaving himself with maybe $15. I have around $20 left, and am panicking.
The river completely bricks, a deuce, and Teddy thinks for a moment, and exclaims, in that familiar Asian accent, "I'm aww in."
What can I do here? I'm attrociously pot committed. Even if I don't think Teddy has much of a hand, which I don't, I physically can't call with Q high here. I know what you're saying, "Styles, you got yourself into this situation, you made your bed..." etc. etc. But really, Getting the odds I was getting (roughtly 4-5:1), I only had to beat a bluff one in every 5 times for a call to be worth it. But I was sure Teddy HAD to have Q high beat, even a player as crazy as Teddy couldnt be still in this pot without a little piece.
So I didnt make my sick call. I let Teddy take the pot, at which point Jarron stands up swearing. I felt bad because I had represented such strength in the hand, but I had made a good play against Jarron, but a horribly donkish one against the complete calling station, Teddy.
Teddy, rolls over 9Tos by the way, for Ten high and a busted straight draw. Most uncool.
Anyway, I'm probably getting off my point. What do you think about this rush of people calling with very marginal hands? I think it has happened because people have gotten so good at Texas Holdem, realised you can win so much with pure aggression, that the standards of a river call are so much lower, because people are "playing the man" more than the cards now.
What do you guys think? Leave some comment love.
Styles
My roommate Tamim is also prone to doing this, and sometimes he makes amazing calls (like the call of my all in river bet on a heavy board with just AQ high when I had 23os bluffing the river) but it also leads to him being very susceptible to value bets.
I personally don't like the sick call, and I never, ever, ever call down without at least a pair, even in Hold'em, when so few people have an actual real hand. I find myself physically unable to call with a high card, even when I'm exceedingly pot committed.
An example of when I should have made a sick call was a few months back when I had Q9 at a $20 homegame 30c/60c at Mark and Jen's house. I got involved with a rather largish pot with Jarron and local donk Teddy.
I was BB and the game was 4 handed. Jarron raised UTG to $3 and Teddy called and I called in the BB. The flop came J84. I checked. Jarron bet $6, Teddy (as usual) called. I check-raised to $16, figuring neither had a very strong hand. Jarron looks mutinous, but because he has Teddy to act behind him he lays his hand down.
Teddy calls my $10 raise, and we go to the turn. It is an ace, and against any player who actually THINKS, it would be a great card to make a nice bluff on, if I had, say, check raised on a hand like AJ, AQ or AK. So it's me first and I bet $30. Teddy thinks for a moment and calls, leaving himself with maybe $15. I have around $20 left, and am panicking.
The river completely bricks, a deuce, and Teddy thinks for a moment, and exclaims, in that familiar Asian accent, "I'm aww in."
What can I do here? I'm attrociously pot committed. Even if I don't think Teddy has much of a hand, which I don't, I physically can't call with Q high here. I know what you're saying, "Styles, you got yourself into this situation, you made your bed..." etc. etc. But really, Getting the odds I was getting (roughtly 4-5:1), I only had to beat a bluff one in every 5 times for a call to be worth it. But I was sure Teddy HAD to have Q high beat, even a player as crazy as Teddy couldnt be still in this pot without a little piece.
So I didnt make my sick call. I let Teddy take the pot, at which point Jarron stands up swearing. I felt bad because I had represented such strength in the hand, but I had made a good play against Jarron, but a horribly donkish one against the complete calling station, Teddy.
Teddy, rolls over 9Tos by the way, for Ten high and a busted straight draw. Most uncool.
Anyway, I'm probably getting off my point. What do you think about this rush of people calling with very marginal hands? I think it has happened because people have gotten so good at Texas Holdem, realised you can win so much with pure aggression, that the standards of a river call are so much lower, because people are "playing the man" more than the cards now.
What do you guys think? Leave some comment love.
Styles
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Can he be stopped?
God I rule. Just jumped in a $11+1 180-man SNG on Stars, and well...
You can see for yourself. ;)
You can see for yourself. ;)
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