Five Hats and Shit

The Diary of Deep MTT

2009-04-28T01:31:00.003+10:00

I'm currently sitting 3rd in chips in a $10 MTT on Full Tilt Poker. I thought I'd update hands as I played them so I might be able to explain to people how I play in deep late game MTT situations, which I think is the best part of my poker game. Any comments are welcome.

Background/Image Info: I've been chipleading the field in most of the game, I've played one of my better early-to-middle stage games I've played in a while. [BTW gunna update as I type: Blinds are 1,000/2000 ante 250. My stack is 61,000. Qs 5d in early pos, fold it.] I've played about 21/17 most of the game and have a fairly LAGy image.

Q4os in BB: there's a raise and a reraise. ez fold.

95os: fold to the button raise

6s5c: fold to a limper in the cutoff

I've got 3 tables on my screen, the 3 last tables of the tournament. When I'm not involved in a hand (or writing a hand here) I'm watching the other 2 tables. This is an easy and invaluable sneak peek at online opponents' tendencies.

A2os cutoff: folds to me, I make it 4999. blinds are 1200/2400. I take it down pre.

73os MP: fold

74os UTG+1: fold

KJos UTG: fold

Kh5h BB: UTG+1 minraises to 2400, a move I hate with my easily-callable suited King. I can advocate a fold here for most players, but since I have quite an agressive image I normally get paid off for my flushes by hands as weak as top pair or an overpair. I figure why not take a flop getting good odds.

The flop comes Js8s6s, quite a scary board for me but possibly for him also.

(I often like check-raising in spots like this with hands like mine because very few hands without a high spade can call a check-raise on a board like that, especially this deep in a MTT. I wouldn't recommend this early in a tourney when most stacks are like 25-30BB.)

I check, but he plays quite intelligently (weird, I know) and checks behind. This is either him giving up or me or him pot controlling a hand like top pair. I choose to believe it's the former and bet 7200 on the turn, which he promptly moves in on... his range is so wide here he could have anything from a flopped flush to the King of spades. (or maybe even pair+flushdraw type hands)

Ok writing that last hand took more time than I'd like but now I'm back after folding for about 5 minutes junky hands. I just got AA though right when I need the chip boost and had AhTh shove 20k in on me. I know, luckbox, right?

(Fold 61k to 51k as blinds molest my stack like the former was a Catholic Priest and the latter an altar boy. See! My blog writing has imagery!)

Ok, maybe not so luckbox. LOL donkaments. I have AKos in LP and move in for 51k on a guy who shoved 27k at blinds 1500/3000. He has 7-9 and the board reads J8JQ....7 ldo. Down to 21k.

Wow, I blind down to 15k and shove 67s. I get called by AJ and turn a 6. Winning flips!

I shove AQ for 33k utg. Everyone folds.

AA on the cutoff. How to win a tourney huh. I raise to 9999 at blinds 2000/4000. No one gives me action, not even Mr. 109k.

OK this one is going to get me laughed at, but fuck it. I shove As7h UTG because I think it's 6 handed but it's actually 7 handed. Even by 6 handed standards, it's a pretty loose shove but since I've shoved trash recently I figure I might get some even looser calls. Bad shove by me.

HOWEVER, my boomswitch was flipped LDO and I flopped AJ7 turned a 4 and rivered an Ace. Oh well, I wasn't _that far behind_ the other 2 guys... (Who had something like AQ and QQ, who remembers these things really...)

Anyway, I actually went into chipleader in donktacular fashion after this hand, folded a few more trash and got the whopping dose of karma that seems to always accompany me when I luckbox on other people, other people luckboxing on me.

Hand one of my karma: I have AcTc and shove on a button shortstack who shoved first. Easy shove here, people shove absolute trash on the button these days. However, their 64os easily deals with my pitiful ATs on a J8429 board.

Hand 2 of my Karma I flop middle pair and an OESD and get it in vs a shortstack who has the same straight draw but with top pair. Pwnt.

I just shoved 42k with KQ and ran into A9 button shoving. I won the 40-60 because I'm a donk and entered the break with 81k

I shove KcQc on the button and steal like 12k worth of blinds. I'm at 92k.

Ironically, very next hand on the cutoff I get KQos but fold it to an 80k stack opening to 7500. I've been playing too loose to tangle in a spot like this.

I think now is the time to change my gears. I definitely have a loose image and I need to start tightening up and waiting out some shortstacks.

Ac6s utg: fold

It's hand for hand for the final table. I have a pretty much exactly average stack of 87k. The blinds are 4k/8k.

Let's see how I do.

Qs8c: I shove on the 20k shortstack. I love bubbles. So much fear.

I get 9d9h the next hand. Two red nines, two warning signals. Too bad. The guy who busted me with 64os raises to 15k. I move in instantly on the button. He folds quickly. 42k resteal. My stack:123k.

Final table.

34os I open fold on the cutoff.

3h8h I fold to an 18k raise. Blinds are 3k/6k

62os fold in mid position

Kc2h fold to an 18k UTG raise

Qd4d fold in early.

Kc5c fold in BB after button shove and SB reshove. Q7 sucksout on AQ. Still 8 left.

TT on the button. Shove on a MP minraiser. Grossly, he has KK. Down to 20k. God this is a fucking wacky game.

KK holds.

I'm at 20k and next hand I shove 4h4c. SB reshoves and I win the race against A6... in a dramatic fashion of course. I'm going to have a heart attack. I'm enjoying all this luck but I think people are going to be reading this saying how much of a donk I am. All I have to say is: LOL donkaments.

Here's the dramatic fashion btw: 9JK flop.... :D .... A on the turn..... >:( ....... 4 on the river.... :O<[WTF]

OK this one was sick. I have 61k and shove 7d9d on the hijack as a pure steal... run into 88 and get trip 7's. I've never ran this well before....

77 in the SB. There is a raise and a reraise. Easy fold. Raiser shows AKs.

I shove JJ on an UTG raiser and he calls with KK. I get 6th place and $180. Not a bad showing considering how heavy my variance was. Reviewing this HH I feel like I played pretty poorly in this given tournament. I dont recommend playing like this deep in smaller buy-in tournaments but I figured $10 was deep enough to avoid many of the donks who make spectacular brave calls, which it definitely turned out to be. However, people picked up fairly strong hands enough to put chunks in my stack despite the amounts of blinds and antes I was stealing playing so loose. And the final hand JJ is an easy shove I don't regret making, especially since people were seeing my suckouts and calling me lightly to bust me out. NH KK, and well played.

6/581, not a bad attempt. :)

The Hats

2009-04-18T03:13:00.002+10:00

Well, what can I say. The Hats are like an old rock band called the Beatles. They started up, they were on top of the world, and then, they went there separate ways. They became interested in other things than pop music and more into taking lots of drugs and writing songs about yellow submarines and walruses. In-a-similar-but-when-you-think-about-it-not-so-similar-at-all way, The Hats went into other pursuits, like their studies, video games, sport, getting drunk, working, etc etc, the dream kind of died.

I call for a hat reunion, not that we don't talk to each other anymore but I want to revamp the crew to make it back on top of the poker in the region, which means eliminating those who have lost their love for the game or for being a true balla in general. But I cannot make the decision of reuniting the hats alone. In Melbourne next week, the Hats will ride again!

Also, Ahmad Tamim Yaftali would like to stake a claim as a member of the infamous Five Hats and Shit. I offer this evidence to counterpoint any claims:

Full Tilt Poker Game #11730834238: Table Ernest (6 max) - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 11:05:07 ET - 2009/04/17

Seat 1: Peet3D ($109.35)

Seat 2: Teamtacejack ($32.70)

Seat 3: Happy Lucky Me ($49.50)

Seat 4: LaOrtegafr ($43.25)

Seat 5: K7n24 ($20.75)

Seat 6: themisterfister ($117.80)

Peet3D posts the small blind of $0.25

Teamtacejack posts the big blind of $0.50

The button is in seat #6

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Happy Lucky Me folds

LaOrtegafr folds

K7n24 folds

themisterfister folds

Peet3D raises to $1.50

Teamtacejack calls $1

*** FLOP *** [2c Qs 6h]

Peet3D has 15 seconds left to act

Peet3D bets $2

Teamtacejack calls $2

*** TURN *** [2c Qs 6h] [5c]

Peet3D bets $5

Teamtacejack calls $5

*** RIVER *** [2c Qs 6h 5c] [4h]

Peet3D bets $13

Teamtacejack raises to $24.20, and is all in

Peet3D calls $11.20

*** SHOW DOWN ***

Teamtacejack shows [7h 8c] a straight, Eight high

Peet3D mucks

Teamtacejack wins the pot ($62.40) with a straight, Eight high

*** SUMMARY ***

Total pot $65.40 | Rake $3

Board: [2c Qs 6h 5c 4h]

Seat 1: Peet3D (small blind) mucked [Ad As], a pair of Aces

Seat 2: Teamtacejack (big blind) collected ($62.40)

Seat 3: Happy Lucky Me didn't bet (folded)

Seat 4: LaOrtegafr didn't bet (folded)

Seat 5: K7n24 didn't bet (folded)

Seat 6: themisterfister (button) didn't bet (folded)

Winning Freerolls Yay!

2008-12-08T01:34:00.001+11:00

Yay I just proved that even good players can win these donkaments:-) $15 4 me

A few thoughts...

2008-10-06T03:37:00.002+11:00

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

Teams Event - Close but no cigar

2008-08-19T02:34:00.001+10:00

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!

Hey kidlets

2008-08-05T09:27:00.002+10:00

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

Update part 2 or "How Styles Got Banned from APL"

2008-08-03T14:15:00.003+10:00

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

Update on happenings.

2008-07-28T09:27:00.004+10:00

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...

Satellite Poker and the Wollongong trip.
Casino Canberra
Online Action (or lack thereof)
The Hats nearly getting into a biff at Orange Ex-Services

As much as I'm sure you guys are keen to read that last bit, I'll start at the beginning. However, if you want to skip through, I'll mainly be outlining various plays and hands in the first 3 bits.
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

Back to PubNubbing It

2008-06-05T08:04:00.005+10:00

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

OK, I guess I should update while sober... right?

2008-05-22T23:15:00.004+10:00

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!

DRUNK POST

2008-03-13T21:41:00.001+11:00

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.

Another heater, almost an 8k one!

2008-03-11T06:35:00.005+11:00

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.

What a night.

2008-02-10T07:20:00.000+11:00

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.

Impressed yet?

2008-01-18T08:27:00.000+11:00

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.

Styles Smashes Lightning Poker

2008-01-14T14:52:00.000+11:00

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.

The epidemic of the "Sick Call"

2008-01-07T23:02:00.000+11:00

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

Can he be stopped?

2008-01-01T18:27:00.000+11:00

God I rule. Just jumped in a $11+1 180-man SNG on Stars, and well...

You can see for yourself. ;)

If luck weren't involved...

2007-12-30T14:35:00.000+11:00

I'd win every time. So I decided to go on pokerstars and test my TRUE poker skills with the field in the $30+3 Deepstack NLHE game last night.

I was in for a bit of a grind. The starting stacks were 5000 and the blind levels were 30 minutes long. I knew I didnt have to make any fancy plays or moves, just good, solid poker.

The hours wore on and after 5 hours 195 people had become 19 -- the bubble. No one was really "short-stacked" though after a crazy bluff on my behalf where I was called down on a double-paired board with Ace high (gc btw) I was down to 20000 when the blinds were 400/800/50 (yeah thats right, 400/800 after 5 hours!) The bubble was cruel and I was starting to dwindle-- until I made perhaps a tilty but good call of all in on a board of Qxx with JJ in my hand. One of the better calls of my tournament as the guy putting me in had TT.

I was back to 35k, dodged the bubble, and won a few more pots. There were around 12 left when my 50kish stack doubled up, flopping AQQ in the big blind when I had KQ. I bet every street, big value bets that the guy holding AJ had to call.

On the final table I started as 4th in chips but after a few shortstacks blew up, we were around 7 handed. I took the chiplead after this critical hand.

PokerStars Game #14175233357: Tournament #71071683, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level XIV (1000/2000) - 2007/12/29 - 09:21:00 (ET)
Table '71071683 1' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 2: Mike_OxBig78 (11750 in chips)
Seat 3: Ragaboo (182433 in chips)
Seat 5: DANVAR (122622 in chips)
Seat 6: Willskis (114445 in chips)
Seat 7: lehighlax (200934 in chips)
Seat 8: dacrazesta (196781 in chips)
Seat 9: (146035 in chips)
Mike_OxBig78: posts the ante 200
Ragaboo: posts the ante 200
DANVAR: posts the ante 200
Willskis: posts the ante 200
lehighlax: posts the ante 200
dacrazesta: posts the ante 200
: posts the ante 200
lehighlax: posts small blind 1000
dacrazesta: posts big blind 2000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Willskis [9s 9c]
: folds
Mike_OxBig78: folds
Ragaboo: folds
DANVAR: raises 3555 to 5555
Willskis: calls 5555
lehighlax: folds
dacrazesta: folds
*** FLOP *** [9h 4d 7h]
DANVAR: bets 116867 and is all-in
Willskis: calls 108690 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [9h 4d 7h] [Qd]
*** RIVER *** [9h 4d 7h Qd] [Ac]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
DANVAR: shows [Ah Td] (a pair of Aces)
Willskis: shows [9s 9c] (three of a kind, Nines)
dacrazesta said, "just a matter of time"
Willskis collected 232890 from pot
Ragaboo said, "Nice hand."
said, "ha nh"
Willskis said, "instacall"
dacrazesta said, "nh"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 232890 | Rake 0
Board [9h 4d 7h Qd Ac]
Seat 2: Mike_OxBig78 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: Ragaboo folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: DANVAR showed [Ah Td] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 6: Willskis (button) showed [9s 9c] and won (232890) with three of a kind, Nines
Seat 7: lehighlax (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: dacrazesta (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: folded before Flop (didn't bet)

We played 5 handed for close to an hour, all of us having deep stacks and playing rather conservatively. My chiplead fluctuated and was passed around the remaining 5 players. It truly was a grind.

One by one guys dropped, until finally we got to headsup. My opponent was the only guy at the table who had not advocated a chop. I wouldn't have minded chopping heads up, even though I went into the match as the chipleader. A chop could guarantee $1400 for my $30 investment rather than a guaranteed $1170. Nevertheless, I didn't push the issue.

The guy played the same game headsup that he had been playing, solid and partial to flop and turn raises rather than brave river calls. I had been playing rather tight and passive for the most part, folding to large reraises of my feeler bets. KJ'o'spades won me a large pot early on, hitting top pair and overbetting on the turn, him calling my all in (he had more chips at this point) and being second best with his A9 middle pair. Afterwards he battled back till we had a more even chipstack. Around 45 minutes and close to 220 hands into heads up (exhausting, no?) this hand occurred.

PokerStars Game #14177248675: Tournament #71071683, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level XVII (2500/5000) - 2007/12/29 - 11:31:33 (ET)
Table '71071683 1' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 3: Ragaboo (466058 in chips)
Seat 6: Willskis (508942 in chips)
Ragaboo: posts the ante 500
Willskis: posts the ante 500
Ragaboo: posts small blind 2500
Willskis: posts big blind 5000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Willskis [Qh 9s]
Ragaboo: raises 7500 to 12500
Ragaboo said, "Nah"
Willskis: calls 7500
*** FLOP *** [Jh Ts Kd]
Willskis: checks
Ragaboo: bets 15000
Willskis: raises 25000 to 40000
Ragaboo said, "Always!"
Ragaboo: calls 25000
*** TURN *** [Jh Ts Kd] [Kc]
Willskis: bets 55000
Ragaboo: calls 55000
*** RIVER *** [Jh Ts Kd Kc] [4s]
Willskis: bets 160000
Ragaboo: calls 160000
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Willskis: shows [Qh 9s] (a straight, Nine to King)
Ragaboo: shows [Ac Qd] (a straight, Ten to Ace)
Ragaboo collected 536000 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 536000 | Rake 0
Board [Jh Ts Kd Kc 4s]
Seat 3: Ragaboo (button) (small blind) showed [Ac Qd] and won (536000) with a straight, Ten to Ace
Seat 6: Willskis (big blind) showed [Qh 9s] and lost with a straight, Nine to King

The K on the turn saved me from losing potentially my entire stack, as it turned his hand from the nuts to a possible second best hand. Thank God because it didn't slow me down. When he called the turn I figured he might have a hand like AK and wanted to milk as much as I could.

After roughly 1 hour and 10 minutes the final knockout blow came up.

PokerStars Game #14177388944: Tournament #71071683, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level XVIII (3000/6000) - 2007/12/29 - 11:39:31 (ET)
Table '71071683 1' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 3: Ragaboo (718658 in chips)
Seat 6: Willskis (256342 in chips)
Ragaboo: posts the ante 600
Willskis: posts the ante 600
Willskis: posts small blind 3000
Ragaboo: posts big blind 6000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Willskis [Jc 8s]
Willskis said, "close Wink"
Ragaboo said, "Haha, nope. Close, though."
Willskis: raises 12000 to 18000
Ragaboo: calls 12000
*** FLOP *** [6c 9h 7c]
Ragaboo: checks
Willskis: bets 12000
Ragaboo: raises 24000 to 36000
Willskis: raises 201742 to 237742 and is all-in
Ragaboo: calls 201742
*** TURN *** [6c 9h 7c] [Qd]
*** RIVER *** [6c 9h 7c Qd] [3s]
Ragaboo said, "gg"
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Ragaboo: shows [As 9c] (a pair of Nines)
Willskis: shows [Jc 8s] (high card Queen)
Willskis said, "Phew."
Ragaboo collected 512684 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 512684 | Rake 0
Board [6c 9h 7c Qd 3s]
Seat 3: Ragaboo (big blind) showed [As 9c] and won (512684) with a pair of Nines
Seat 6: Willskis (button) (small blind) showed [Jc 8s] and lost with high card Queen

So there you have it, 2nd placing for $1170. I'm very happy with that as you can imagine, but I'll keep striving for first. For all those who are able to play flops well and are able to fold TPTK to a substantial reraise, I recommend this tournament, if you have a spare 10 hours handy to win it, of course. :)

Click the thumbnail for a screencap.

Styles OUT

PEACE

Unbelievable strategy.

2007-12-26T02:19:00.000+11:00

I'm on a sick run online, I've won my last 9 sit'n'goes and it's all thanks to this guy's strategy. It's very advanced so you may not understand it at first but I'm really winning big with this guy's incredible advice.

It's all happening, yes, yes, yes it is.

2007-12-23T10:11:00.000+11:00

Major update in Hatland, campers. We have two new members in our exclusive poker crew, who after a long trial period have proved that they can ball like the best gangstas. Jarron Miranda (known online as "Jarron M" -- yes, original -- on Full Tilt) and Kyle "fakedante" Minett have both been inducted into the Five Hats poker crew.

In other news, Jarron and I drove to Lithgow the other night to play the $10 APL (shudder) freezeout. As we got to the club, the lady said, "You do know that poker isn't on tonight?"

This did not bode well.

So we decided, far be it from us to waste a perfectly good 1.5 hours of our lives, and we decided to drive to Star City in Sydney, picking up Sarah and Matty P from Bilpin on the way.

Matty and Jarron jumped on 80NL and I sat down (foolishly) at the softest $5/$10 fixed limit table. I realised early on that these people weren't playing poker, really, just no fold'em hold'em, so I decided to knuckle down and wait for cards. It was boring as fuck. It went like this:

Call preflop with ridiculous odds with a hand like 9sTs. (I'm in late, 6 people have called already, pot $30, pot odds 6:1..)

Miss flop. Fold.

Repeat.

Repeat again, only this time, HIT flop. Bet. Called by 6 people. Turn isn't scary. Bet. Called by 5 people. River is somewhat scary. Check it down, call bet from donk on end of table. Top pair is good. (Donk's bluff, not so good). $130 pot.

After having a few two pairs drawn out on etc. I had my once-proud stack looking short. When my flopped BB 2 pair 8s3s on a board of 8c3d6h flop ended up being outdrawn by 5s2h catching a gutshot I should have left the table with my pride intact, buuuuut... I didn't, and lost most of my $150 buyin. Damn luck wins again.

We even made a movie on my phone to show the contrast between the start of the night and the end of the night. The sync between the audio and video went a bit out of whack at the end... but an enjoyable video nonetheless.

Keep tuned for more Five Hats and Shit updates!

Tournament of Champions

2007-12-06T05:08:00.000+11:00

This guy's Cunningham impression cracked me up. :D

RIP Chip Reese

2007-12-05T15:05:00.000+11:00

One of the Greatest High-Stakes Cash Game Players Passes On

David “Chip” Reese, the three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, longtime cash-game star, and member of the Poker Hall of Fame, has died. He was 56.

Card Player has learned that Reese went to the hospital last night and was then sent home later that night and passed away in his sleep. Card Player's original information reported that he had died at the hospital.

Reese, the Ohio native who learned to play poker while attending Dartmouth, was a regular in the biggest cash games and was considered the best seven-card stud player in the world. Doyle Brunson held Reese’s play in such high regard that he pegged him to pen the chapter on stud for his book “Super System.”

He affirmed his position as one of the world’s best all-around players in 2006 when he won the $50,000 WSOP H.O.R.S.E. event ($1.8 million). He also won bracelets in 1982 and 1978 ($5,000 limit stud and $1,000 stud split).

Source: Cardplayer.com

---

A true legend of the game. RIP Mr. Reese.

Bull. Doze. Zer.

2007-12-04T02:22:00.000+11:00

Finally a big cash. I also qualified into the Aussie Millions $109 supersatellite for just $4. It'll be really impressive when I say that I won $2 million from just $4.

WHEN I win, note I said. Not if. Hats don't have room for if.

Playin' Huck Seed

2007-10-31T14:23:00.000+11:00

I saw former World Champion of Poker and multi-bracelet winner in Razz Huckleberry Seed at the HORSE tables last night playing $2/$4. So I sat down with $40 and played him heads up for a little while. I was up to $70 at one point, but being that he's a world class player and I'm a pleb, he took most of my buy in. He was real nice though and chatted to me about strategy and stuff. Thanks Huck, enjoy my $30 :p

Click the thumbnail to view a larger image.

Another Omaha H/L Final Table.

2007-10-25T04:45:00.000+10:00

This time on Full Tilt. I was looking good to win for a while but one big pot sent me from chipleader to like 5th. I ended up busting out 6th which I'm still happy with.

Omahahahahaha...

2007-10-22T23:17:00.000+10:00

I've been playing a lot of Omaha online lately. Just a change from the NL sit'n'goes. I used to just multi-table 4 $3.40 Stars/Tilt sit'n'goes but that gets boring. Though still fun. I came 6th in a 154 person tourney last night online, after one monster pot sent me from chipleader to like 2nd last on the final table. I don't have the Hand History, so take my word for it.

My hand: AQJ2
Opponents hand: ????

I call a 2-bet from the button and the blinds fold.

Flop is J7J. I bet the flop, he raises, I reraise and he caps it. By capping it, I figured he had another J or 77xx in his hand. I call the cap.

Turn card is an ostensible gem. Ace for my JJJAA boat.

River is a nice, but unnecessary, Q, for a lower boat that I don't need. I'd capped the turn BTW. We capped the river, and at no point did I think I had the worst hand. I put the guy on 77xx; and couldn't let go of his hand.

I was right. Unfortunately, XX equated to be AA, and his AA77 made a better boat than mine and lost me a 50k chip pot when the blinds were only 700/1400 and the average stack was like, 20k.

And just like 20 minutes ago I played in a $5.50 Pot Limit Omaha HiLo tourney and came 2nd. The final 3 were all Aussies. Represent! Now, it is my duty, to build this roll up to one worthy of the 2008 Aussie Millions. AWW yeah.

Stylez OUT.
PEACE

Stylez' Sydney Shenanigans

2007-10-04T13:01:00.000+10:00

On the weekend I made my way down to Sydney with Jarron and Tamim, just to sit at the Star City tables for a while, make a quick buck, and head home.

While it was a fairly lucrative night at the casino (I made a few greenbacks), we didn't end up going home particularly early. On no sleep, we decided to wander around the city and look for a game at the Jade Tavern or Pokerdome. The Jade was dead quiet so we went to Newtown to play a Sit'n'Go there. I got told there was a big Pokerdome jackpot tourney that night and no less than three people offered a bootleg ticket into the event.

I heard people asking for $330, $180 and $150 respectively, and though I was cashed up from Star City, I still talked one guy down to $100.

So, having been awake for around 28 hours, I mapquested my way to Coogee in Sydney to play the event. Jarron and Tamim by this time were sleeping in the car, but I was running on pure Red Bull.

I thought the best approach to the tourney would be to build a tight image... which was the easiest thing to do when I didn't see ONE premium hand for over 7 blind structures. I padded my stack with a few blindsteals and lost a few when I tried to bluff a guy who pretty much hit the 4c5s6c flop as hard as one CAN hit that flop (with the 3c5c). So I nursed my poor chipstack through so many blinds, grinding it down before I picked up Jd8d in the BB, called a min raise, and flopped a flush with a board of 9dTd3d. I pushed after a small bet from the other player, he called, tabling the KhQd. I had to dodge a diamond on the river.

Of course, it dropped.

THE SEVEN OF DIAMONDS FOR MY MOTHERFUCKIN STRAIGHTFLUSH.

So that was a morale booster. I continued to fold fold fold, stole one round of blinds and antes with Ace 9 (which at the time was my best opening hand for the night), was moved to another table and was on the brink of being blinded out to the crazy 500/1000/ ante 50 blinds; picked up AKs and pushed, won a race against 4s, padded my stack up to 7 odd thousand, in the SB next hand it was folded to the button who made a hefty 3500 raise, I instapushed with QQ, and lost the race to his AK. All in all I think I played the game ok; if a little tighter than I originally intended.

More updates on the life of Stylez and the Hats in general.

Blind round 8 - Razz

2007-09-23T08:56:00.000+10:00

I won the first two pots, a good omen! Back to 2300ish. The BAD omen, however, is that I then got rolled up 5s. In Razz. WHY IN RAZZ.

The Razz god sure has a sick sense of humour.

Well, that's me gone. I just got runner runnered for a lower. I had 7 low and the guy got the perfect two cards he needed, runner runner A 4 for 6 low. Absolutely sickening. But still a good experience.

Next time maybe, campers. No $70,000 bankroll for Stylez just yet.

Blind round 7 - Omaha Hi Lo

2007-09-23T08:23:00.000+10:00

Pfft, lol. Very first hand I get is Ah Kh Qh Jh. 4 to the royal in my hand. Ironic thing is that this is Hi-Lo so I have to fold it.

Great. I now have three bets. I had Jacks up which I was hoping would be good for Hi, then the board runner-runner flushed and lowballed so I had to fold my good hand... turns out the guy who scooped only had Kings for high so I could have taken it.

Just split both pots with another guy who also flopped the wheel. I was hoping not to get quartered but blank outs fell, thank god. Still only at 1300.

Ugh, BB and I get dealt trip 9s with a deuce. Filth.

SB not much better.

I quartered a guy when I had A224. I two paired for Hi and nut-low split with him. Back to 1800. Bulldozer? CAN YOU FEEL IT!? BUUULLLL DOZERRRRRRRRRRR!

2500 BABY. Tripped up my Qs when I had QJ23 on a flop of QA5. Nut low draw turned into trip Qs and when the river brought a 10 I bet, got called, and took the entire pot. BULLDOZZZZZZZZZZEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRR!!

(Incidentally, Hevad "RaInKhAN" Khan owner of the "Bulldozer" trademark is in this tournament. He has more chips than me. Bitch.)

Down to 1300 again. Semibluffed a lot of chips off again. I fucking hate double draws. If a 3 dropped I'd have had a boat and nut low.

The 3 did not drop.

MOTHERFUCKER. I had A338 double suited then, raised, got like 9 callers. Set for a mad double scoop. Worst flop ever was K9J, where it was bet and I had to get off it. Turn brought a three and it was checked down. No qualifying low and Kings up tied for high. I would be back at 3000ish.

Razz next. Fingers crossed.

The average stack is like 5000 but I have hope with a 2500 chipstack. It can become something greater... as long as my Razz luck isn't like the first round.

Blind round 6 - Hold'em

2007-09-23T07:48:00.000+10:00

An inauspicious start to the round, with my first three hands being 23, 26 and 27 offsuit. :-\

AJ suited, middle position. I raise preflop, BB calls, I'm checked to on the missed flop and put out a continuer, picks up the pot.

UTG with pocket 10s. I raise. 2nd pos calls. BB calls. 567 flops. I bet again, am called by 2nd pos. BB folds. Turn K. I bet again and pick up the pot.

In the BB with KQ os. Call two bets, flop is 6 10 10. Check check check. Turn is a 5. I check again, middle pos bets, I fold.

Sat out for a while and folded QQ. Bah. Never check the hand history.

Just lost another pot with AK against 88 when the board bricked. Down to 2400.

Fuck. I just had JQ flop top pair Qs and got capped on the flop. I didn't like my hand after that, figuring I was beat. At the riv I see the guy slow played AQ on me. Totally never put him on that.

Jesus I am missing flops with big hands like its going out of fashion. I may have to pick a hand to gamble with soon, these fucking flops are unbelievable. I get Ah Th and flop is Qd 3h Jh .. that's every heart, K, and an A overcard. Miss the lot and the draws are getting mighty expensive.

Down to 850 here. No flop connectivity whatsoever. Bring on Aces!

I picked on the extremely shortstacked BB with my low Ace 5 then, but it worked because he got attached to his Q 10 and now all his chips are mine. Back to 1350. Folded AJ the next hand under the gun. WHERE WAS THAT ON THE BUTTON!?

BB 65os won me a pot, when I bet with it and got called, turned a board pair Q, rivered a board trip Q for my full house, I bet and took that. Back to 1600.

Omaha next. Let's hope my favourite game can save me. Blinds are starting to sting.

Blind round 5 - Stud Hi Lo

2007-09-23T07:24:00.000+10:00

I've won a few pots in this game, I scooped one with tens up and no qualifying low hand, and the second I hit trips up with a draw to a 3 for the nut low but still some cold cards. I'll let you know about any interesting hands.

I just took the high pot with Aces up. I had a low draw that didn't eventuate also, but the pot was pretty beefy so I'm hovering at around 3500. Current chip average is 3354.

Lost a pot then. Had a billion outs that didn't come and bet the river like an idiot when I paired just my deuces. Hoped he didn't have the Jacks he was representing -- he was priced in on 7th street and his 8s were good.

Ugh another donk hand. I have to start waiting for pairs because my straight/flush outs aren't hitting.

Talk about a roller coaster. Just got back up from 2500 to 3100 with Kings up beating Queens up. Crazy crazy stud.

Back to Hold'em.

Blind round 4 - Stud Hi

2007-09-23T06:51:00.000+10:00

First Stud hand I played was wired AA with a 4 showing. I'll post the brief hand history. The extra blinds meant I took a good pot.

Dealt to Willskis [Ac Ah 4c]
Dealt to aviardi [9s]
kawaiiiii: brings in for 18
Willskis: raises 42 to 60
aviardi: calls 60
Tull: calls 60
kawaiiiii: calls 42

*** 4th STREET ***
Dealt to Willskis [Ac Ah 4c] [Td]
Dealt to aviardi [9s] [Kc]
Dealt to Tull [Qd] [4d]
Dealt to kawaiiiii [2c] [5s]

aviardi: checks
Tull: checks
kawaiiiii: checks
Willskis: bets 60
aviardi: raises 60 to 120 < -- At this point I assume he's made a pair of Kings.
Tull: folds
kawaiiiii: folds
Willskis: raises 60 to 180
aviardi: calls 60
*** 5th STREET ***
Dealt to Willskis [Ac Ah 4c Td] [9d]
Dealt to aviardi [9s Kc] [6h]
aviardi: checks
Willskis: bets 120
aviardi: calls 120
*** 6th STREET ***
Dealt to Willskis [Ac Ah 4c Td 9d] [4s] <--- A godsend. I was worrying about Kings up but I'm fairly confident I have the best of it here.
Dealt to aviardi [9s Kc 6h] [6c]
aviardi: checks
Willskis: bets 120
aviardi: calls 120
*** RIVER ***
Dealt to Willskis [Ac Ah 4c Td 9d 4s] [Qs]
aviardi: checks
Willskis: checks <--- He was check calling pretty solidly. Please not trips, Please not Trips.......
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Willskis: shows [Ac Ah 4c Td 9d 4s Qs] (two pair, Aces and Fours)
aviardi: mucks hand

WINNAR.

In this blind structure I also had AKQJ by 4th street, and raised a guy who called me all the way to the river. I couldn't believe it but I didnt make a fucking pair or catch the 10. His pair of 8s was good. It was so sick that he was calling. But bad play by me I guess... don't bluff. Anyway, onto Stud Hilo AND my breakfast. Nice.

Blind round 3 - Razz

2007-09-23T06:10:00.000+10:00

Ugh, the very first hand of Razz I got myself into trouble with this bloke.

I had [A 10] 2 showing and complete. Bloke with a 4 showing makes the call.

I turn another ace. Fucking pair. I try to represent 34 in the hole or something of that nature. He calls.

He is showing 64. He gets an A on fifth street. I get another fucking ten. Jeez I hate Razz.

I bet when it gets to Stud Hi I won't be able to get two pair for love nor money. Anyway, I get rid of that filth as soon as I can.

I lost another pot just then. I had 8 low for so long, and end up making 8654A. Cockhead makes 85432. On 7th street, of course.

I've juts had split Jacks, wired Ks with an A showing, and three suited royal cards. I hate you, Razz.

Finally I've made back some headway with an 8 low beating a 9 low. Back up to 2500.

My 7 low beats 8 low. I should have raised him on the river but I'm not trusting my Razz luck. I had A23 earlier and got a K on both 4th and 5th. Sick.

Finally some door card luck. I had [A 6] 4. Guy raises me. I turn another A but he has a Q. He checks and I bet. 5th street brings me a 7 and him a 9. Check check. I get a 3 on 6th which is fantastic as I'm showing A 4 7 3 and he has to put me on at least 7-low. I take a pretty good pot.

On to Stud now. Thank Christ.

Blind round 2 - Omaha Hi-Lo

2007-09-23T05:39:00.000+10:00

First 10 minutes I haven't played a hand. Can't see an Ace for the life of me.

BB. I check with 4 limpers. My cards are Ah Qs 8c 2c.

Flop is Kc 6d 4h. SB bets. I call. Late position calls.

Turn is 10c. SB bets. I raise. Late position calls. SB calls.

River is a 7s. SB checks. I bet. Late position calls. SB calls.

SB wins Hi with 6c 5h 4d 6d, a pair of 6s.

I win Lo with 7,6,4,2,A.

A few hands later...

I limp in late with 4488. Flop is 245. Flopped a set, not loving the low cards out there though. It's checked to me and I check. C'mon, board pair.

Turn is an 8. Ok, a better set. Still not loving my hand. All the aces out there are fanging for the Lo and I'm sitting here sweating on a board pair. It's bet to me and I call.

River is a 10. Ok, no board pair. A couple of bets to me and I fold. Hi is taken by the 23456 straight and scoops the low also.

Ad Jd 4s 4c. I limp in, and call a two-bet. Flop is 4h 2c 3c. Flopped a set with the nut low draw. Worried about A5 though.

Turn is 7d. I have a low, only A5 has me beat. A board pair would be good, or a 5.

River is 5h. Not too bad. I figure we must both have wheels and I got lucky. Sure enough, the betting is capped, and we split both pots.

I open limp into the pot in late position with 5s 7c 2h 4c. SB completes and BB checks.

Ah 3s 9s is the flop. I have the nut low draw again. I bet twenty, SB calls, BB folds.

Turn brings a 3rd spade, the Q. I check, SB checks.

River drops 2s. This makes my wheel, and the 4th spade on the board (plus the one in my hand) lowers the chance of a flush. I bet and am called. I show the wheel for hi and lo. It scoops both.

5 minute break. I am on 2871. The chip average is still 3000.

Blind round 1 - Limit Hold'em

2007-09-23T05:32:00.000+10:00

I decide I want to play tight in this blind structure, mainly because Hold'em is such a marginal game and I don't want to be risking my chips in pots early. Nevertheless, the guy at my table is blatantly stealing blinds from all the Sitting Out players who are late, so I decide to start reraising with a wider range of hands.

My hole cards: Ad Kd

Cutoff (thief) raises. I three bet. He calls.

Flop is A J 4. He bets. I raise. He calls.

Turn is J. He bets. I call.

River is 10. He bets. I call.

He shows KQ. Motherfucker rivered the straight on me. I was so worried about trip Jacks. Anyway, next time.

Next time he tries to raise me. I have 77. He calls my three-bet.

Flop is 6 9 9. He checks. I bet. He calls.

Turn is 8. He checks. I bet. He raises, I call.

Turn is a 9. He checks. I check. He shows A8 for the turned pair. GODDAMN THIS GUY.

Those are the two main hands I played in hold'em, and I've moved tables for the Omaha Hi-Lo 2nd blind structure, away from this douche. Thank god.

HORSEing about...

2007-09-23T05:28:00.000+10:00

So I'm in the tourney now, still in the first blind structure, after every blind structure I'll detail interesting hands I've been involved in and how they resulted. I'm feeling confident, after playing in Orange yesterday and winning the $10 rebuy and $350 first place. BULLDOZER!

WCOOP Event #12 -- HORSE

2007-09-22T01:47:00.000+10:00

Tomorrow I'll be playing the $200+15 HORSE event in the World Championships of Online Poker on Pokerstars. Wish me luck! If you want to follow my progress on the site, my username is Willskis and the tournament will be starting at 4am NSW time on Sunday, September 23.

PokerStars Tournament #61149674, HORSE
Super Satellite
Buy-In: $20.00/$2.00
80 players
Total Prize Pool: $1600.00
Target Tournament #70000012 Buy-In: $215.00
7 tickets to the target tournament

Tournament started - 2007/09/21 - 10:08:00 (ET)

Dear Willskis,

You finished the tournament in 1st place.
You qualified to play in Tournament #70000012 and are automatically registered for it.
See Tournament #70000012 Lobby for further details.

Results and shit.

2007-09-21T10:52:00.000+10:00

I guess amidst all the talking of Donkeys and such, I've forgotten to let all you out there in the land of Internet know how well the Hats have been doing on the local poker scene. Here's the skinny.

BENNY: Cashgaming it at the home games with the best of the ballers. Though self proclaimed "terrible" at Blind Man's Bluff, takes chips from others like it's going out of fashion. When he's not running tournaments, he's winning them. Notable results of late:

Lithgow $10 freezeout, Commercial Hotel - 1st
Orange $10 rebuys w/ addon, Aaron Hotel - 5th

DIZ LIZ: Another cashgame monster, Diz has also done well of late, taking down numerous cash prizes in the tourneys around town, winning the St. Pats club this week and placing in the top 3 at the $10 rebuy at the Kelso Hotel.

RABS: Though he's been quiet on the poker scene of late, when he does play, he plays good. Last time he played at the $10 rebuy at the Aaron, out of 41 runners with over $1000 in rebuys and addons, he placed 2nd.

SARAH+MATT: Sarah and Matty have recently been to Crown whilst in Melbourne, but when playing in the Central West, they always consistently place, making final tables in nearly every tourney they enter.

And as for moi, despite some depressing beats at the donkalicious tables of Star City, I'm back on the horse, placing 5th at the Kelso rebuy last week and splitting the pot for 1st and 2nd at the Wednesday Ox event. You'll see me in the seedy underbelly of the homegame poker scene as usual... grinding it out at the low stakes, building my next bankroll up for the next Star City visit ... which'll probably be donked off later.

Fellow hats, if I've missed any of your spectacular placings, just post a comment and let anyone reading know exactly how gangsta it was.

Bathurst's BIGGEST DONKEY!

2007-09-19T16:20:00.000+10:00

It seems to be a trend with other local blog sites to big themselves and their teams up by reporting EXACTLY to you, the blog-reading public, who the biggest donkeys in the region are. They'll tell you what they play, who they are, why they're so bad, and how often they win by luck.

Not to be outdone, the FIVE HATS AND SHIT crew decided to scour the region looking for who, indeed, is the region's BIGGEST donkey.

Our results were conclusive. We found the worst poker player in Bathurst, nay, the world. His name is Sven, and he lives right outside of town on a little farm. He doesn't do much except play poker all day, yet he's still SUCH a donkey. He calls with any ace or pocket pair, even when we KNOW our bluffs should be knocking him senseless. Ostensibly, he shouldn't be able to match the extremely gangsta skills of the HATS.

But Sven is no ordinary bad player. He just calls our bluffs, sometimes holding nothing but Ace high! I mean, what is that? He cleaned up all our shit by calling when he should have folded, and getting lucky with crappy cards! WHAT A DONKEY.

Sven challenged all our crew to a game of heads up, and we just laughed so hard the region was swallowed up by an intense gale force wind. But he persisted, so Sven ended up taking all of us on.

One by one we dropped out to his donkey calls! He just accumulated chip after chip! He called our bluffs and got lucky on his bad calls! What a donkey! There was no way to beat this damned donkey, even though we knew we were far superior in poker skill to him.

After 20 minutes of donkaments, he took the last chip from me. He had beaten the hats using nothing but donk poker skills.

Ah Sven, you truly are Bathurst's biggest DONKEY!

Here's a pic of Sven, smiling like a DONK after his stupid win.

A random distraction...

2007-08-29T18:54:00.000+10:00

That damn good.

2007-08-23T17:11:00.001+10:00

If anyone doubted my poker ability, you'll see that I'm in the NPL top 20 -- AHAH.

Not impressed? Well, if you check the NPL website, you'll see that I'm in there TWICE.

So stick that in your pipe and smoke it!

Results of late...

2007-08-15T01:56:00.001+10:00

Hey kidlets, haven't been playing much APL/NPL games of late but here are a few results for our very balling (and now SouthPark-ified) Five Hats. Sarah and Matty have been decimating the St. Pats club, with consecutive Final Tables and a win for Matty and a final table (that I know of) for Sarah.

Rabs came third at the massive Sunday night Panthers game (the region's biggest freeroll), headbutting all opposition with his superior cards and boyish good looks.

As for myself I've been tearing through the NPL lately, though ironically in Orange when I go to help Benny. Not much since the NPL is only fledgling in Orange garnering between 15-30 players per event but I'm still enjoying outplaying the donks. My results so far are:

Aaron Hotel game 1: 4th
Aaron Hotel game 2 (money game): 4th (bubble. damn)
Aaron Hotel sitngo 9handed: 1st
Royal Hotel: 2nd (well 3rd since Benny played and won but he wasn't counted)
Royal Hotel sitngo 9handed: 2nd
Aaron Hotel game 1: 2nd (see my badbeat on Mauler's blog)
Aaron Hotel game 2 (money): 4th (not a bubble this time, they paid top 4, SCORE)

Not that bad... I should probably hit up some more APL, but last Sunday I was too busy drinking the vodka we won at the Royal.

Also if anyone is keen for a game of headsup HORSE, I'll take challengers ranging from $10 to $50 (any more than that is out of my current finances)... I've been playing nothing but HORSE online and have been loving it.

Anyway, Stylez OUT.

PEACE

The proposed "Bathurst vs Orange" poker event.

2007-08-04T23:10:00.000+10:00

Upon reading the collective ideas of the OPC/New Era who are keen for a Bathurst vs Orange poker event, I immediately thought: Why leave it at a Bx vs Ox poker tournament, I (and the rest of the Hats) would much rather a points-based teams event in a similar vein to the Ultimate Teams Event in Sydney, where players have a shootout into a larger tournament, gaining points for where they place on the day with the team accumulating the most points being declared the best team in the region?

I know that the mo'fuckin HATS ain't scared. What does the OPC, New Era, Big Nutz, Go Web Go, TCW and even the mighty (crap) Team T think of this proposal?

The Five Hats Heads Up Challenge

2007-08-03T15:35:00.000+10:00

Or as we like to pronounce it, the "Fuck." (FHHUC)

It's Stylez here at Matty P's crib just posting after the first two rounds of our Five Hats Round Robin heads up challenge.

In the first heat, Matty P versed Benny in a squeaky-tight match. In the fortieth or so minute, when the blinds were 200/400, Ben picked up wired Jacks in the small blind and made it 1400 to roll, after losing around 400 in the hand before. His stack was 2600 so he had pot committed himself. Matty awoke to pocket 7s and put Big Ben all in for the rest of his chips. The first card rolled over was a 7 and Ben was sent to the rail with Matty picking up the first win of the FHHUC.

Stylez and Sarah played in their next match, and as we're pretty much known for being the most aggressive in the team the action heated up pretty quickly. After raising preflop on the button with 9hTd, I (Stylez) got a somewhat miracle headsup flop of KQJ with the K and J being spades. I fired out a fairly solid bet of 400 into a pot of 600 which Sare thought about before making the call. the turn was another spade and I hated that card, (I think it was a 4.) I did a big bet again and Sarah quickly called so I had to put her either on a monster two pair or a draw. The river was the ugliest thing I ever saw: the Queen of spades, that put 4 spades on the board, which I figured would counterfeit my straight. Sarah fired a monster bet when I checked to her and I folded. She turns over the dirty BLUFF with J4 offsuit, NO SPADES. Bah.

Anyway after whittling me down we got to 200-400 blinds and I pushed all in for 1500 with KJ offsuit. Sarah made the call with 8sTs for the turned straight and the first round win.

I've just finished my second match with Matty P (Benny and Sarah are still playing) where Matty slowplayed his KK to the death of him when I turned a straight with the same hand Sarah beat me with -- 8sTs. Matty had around 400 left after that monster pot and I just kept putting him all in whenever I was the smallblind (except, luckily, for one time when I didnt like the look of Ten Deuce [Doyle] and Matty angrily rolled over the pocket rockets AA) eventually I put Matty all in with JhTh and he called with As3c and I turned a flush for the win.

Matty will be in here to do the next update as it happens...

Stylez (On Matty's account) OUT

Carving up the cashgames.

2007-08-01T15:36:00.000+10:00

The hats are rampaging through the Bathurst cashgame scene, with Sarah and Matty P both final tabling at last night's St. Pat's club and Stylez and Diz Lizzle coming top 16 also. At the home of "Wizadd" Mark Cowie we played a bit of $.20/$.40 NL with Matty and Stylez both cashing out for around 3-4 buyins each.

We also started a balling gangsta game called Jackpot... just to make the money move around the table while you're playing toight loike a toiger at the card table waiting for bullets... it was hella fun and we had some pretty big jackpots ($20+) which was just good to make sure there was always some form of gambling going on.

Speaking of gambling, look at this cockhead on Pokerstars. Goddamn it irritates me that my money from that one dirty suckout will be going to some other, better player than this chasing fuckwit.

Stylez OUT

PEACE

Stars Game #11248984915: Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2007/08/01 - 03:44:02 (ET)
Table 'Tethys V' 6-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: pareddevil ($27.95 in chips)
Seat 2: BindingPils ($17.75 in chips)
Seat 3: GwydGambles ($26 in chips)
Seat 4: Willskis ($20.75 in chips)
Seat 5: Spanky1974 ($53.25 in chips)
Seat 6: cantstop ($36.75 in chips)
Willskis: posts small blind $0.25
Spanky1974: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Willskis [Kh Ks]
cantstop: raises $2 to $2.50
pareddevil: folds
BindingPils: folds
GwydGambles: folds
Willskis: raises $3 to $5.50
Spanky1974: folds
cantstop: calls $3
*** FLOP *** [7h 5c 6s]
Willskis: bets $15.25 and is all-in
cantstop: calls $15.25
*** TURN *** [7h 5c 6s] [Ad]
*** RIVER *** [7h 5c 6s Ad] [Qs]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Willskis: shows [Kh Ks] (a pair of Kings)
cantstop: shows [Ac 6h] (two pair, Aces and Sixes)
cantstop collected $39.95 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $42 | Rake $2.05
Board [7h 5c 6s Ad Qs]
Seat 1: pareddevil folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: BindingPils folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: GwydGambles (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: Willskis (small blind) showed [Kh Ks] and lost with a pair of Kings
Seat 5: Spanky1974 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: cantstop showed [Ac 6h] and won ($39.95) with two pair, Aces and Sixes

Have an update, fuckers.

2007-07-28T16:37:00.000+10:00

"Stylez update your fucking blog."
"At least I update my blog."
"Update your blog and I will suck your man meat."

These are just some of the whingy, whiney (and sometimes arousing) sentiments I hear from members of the Bathurst/Orange poker community EVERY DAY since I arrived back in Bathurst from my sojourn in Newcastle with Phil for the WPPT. So here it is bitches, the reason I haven't been updating is because... I didn't know what ballers were doing back here in the B-Town ghetto. And the answer is... a lot of poker/gangsta related shit. Of course. We're mofucking hats.

So here's some skinny for yas. The homegame scene has been booming in Bathurst at least with APL seemingly shriveling up and dying, being reduced to just one freeroll and one pro series.

NPL is going ok too, but the money is really to be made from the NPL TDs and owners at the home games... with Matty P, Big Ben and me raking a shitload from players like Pat, Novak and Addell(sp) at Mark and Jenny Cowie's place. The bomb shit.

Specially of note as well, was Matty P's blazing hotstreak with a WIN of St. Pats club (knocking out a former WSOP 70th place finisher [70th out of 8773, mind you]) as well as Matty P and me making the final table of the NPL $10 rebuy game at the Kelso, agreeing to a 4-way $200 split when we were down to 4 players. Cha-ching.

So there's your update. If you want more of this gangsta update shit... do it when I'm not busy. I've got poker to play and fish to exploit.

Stylez OUT

PEACE

WPPT Report

2007-07-02T17:00:00.000+10:00

Hey kids, its Stylez here writing from Newcastle, in the middle of the grand week of poker that my mate has dubbed the WPPT -- The Will and Phil Poker Tour.

So far we've played 2 major Wild Turkey games with some less than profitable results. In the $55 Big Freeze event at Souths Juniors Phil busted out in around 50th after his pocket 9s button raise ran into the Big Blind who had awoken to pocket Queens. Finding himself pot committed Phil had to push all in when he was reraised.

Will had a more annoying situation. With around 3 tables left, we arrived straight from the break. In the big blind for 2000, it was folded around to the small blind, an old man who completed the blind. Will found Ace Eight off suit in the big blind and raised an extra 4000 to take the old man's 2000. After thinking for a moment the old man pushed all in in an exasperated manner. Sizing up the situation, Will eliminated any large pocket pair or better Ace from the old man's range of holdings and made the call. The guy flips over Queen Six offsuit a little embarrassed, and people congratulated Will on his call. However, the story always goes bad with the old man spiking a 6 on the turn which held. A little bit disappointing but not the end of the WPPT.

Yesterday started well with Will and Phil being two of the first two people to qualify to the main tournament in a massive shootout at the Newcastle Mayfield Ex-Services, taking down their tables in the first of four heats. However in the main event that night at 6:30pm, Phil busted out early when a calling station called down a pot which Phil bet heavily at with Ace high which held on the river, even on a very draw heavy board of two deuces, a Jack and a straight draw. Will grinded most of the way to the top 40 or so runners but the blinds at 300/600 forced Will all in for around 2400 with King Jack suited of diamonds and ran into the dreaded bullets.

Tonight we're playing a small $10 cashgame at the NPL in Hamilton and tomorrow Phil plays for another WTTOC ticket at the Mayfield Ex-Services again with all the Newcastle regional leaders. Next Saturday sees the Saints Shootout where the lads will again test their mettle against a bunch of Turkey Ticket wannabes. The next day is the Pro Series open where the lads will meet up with Diz Lizzle, Tamin, and Matty P at the Rooty Hill RSL -- its almost a certainty that money will be won.

Check the 5 Hats and Shit blog for more exciting WPPT updates...

Stylez OUT

Five Hats and Shit = Unstoppable?

2007-06-19T23:42:00.000+10:00

Tonight at the NPL the final table was dominated by the two Five Hats ballers Matty P and Stylez. After knocking out pretty much everybody it came down to heads up between Matty and Stylez with Matty taking down the entire match with a well timed call of Stylez' bluff.

Last night at the Golfy as well the Hats rolled into town, notching up a 4th for Diz Lizzle and James "Ace" Mann kicking the opposition in their poker shins to come a balling 2nd.

There's no questioning which is the premier poker team in the region.

Stylez OUT

King Jack of Spades

2007-06-14T23:41:00.001+10:00

Hi! I'm the king of spades. I'm one half of the most balling poker hand in the world.

This is my buddy, Jack of spades. Together with my buddy King we fucking STOMP THE SHIT OUT OF ANY HAND that comes across us when Stylez is playing us.

Tonight Diz Lizzle and I drove to Orange to play on the home turf of our two new ballers James "Fuck Yo Ace Up" Mann and Shannon "DJ Wolfendizzle" Hart. (These are their nicknames gangstified.) After busting out in the main game, we decided to play a sit 'n' go for $22 (no ghetto SNGs here).

The game was pretty much decided when I picked up Ks Js in the hole. This (if anyone doesn't know) is my lucky hand, and I haven't had it for months. It was limped around to me, and without fear, knowing I was impervious to being beat, I pushed all in.

The donkey at the table called quickly, then it got to a guy called Mitch, and he took ages before calling and showing As Ts. I wasn't worried, I could have seen AA and laughed so hard the chips would have been blown off the table from the sheer force of my mirth. The noob shows K4os and I'm like "meh, so one of my outs is gone. No biggie."

As expected, the Jack was the first to drop - putting me in a commanding lead. The 4 was next followed by what I was sure was coming -- the King.

"Excellent" said I, as I smoked a pipe and skulled a bottle of Jagermeister like the baller I am.

The beautiful thing about the flop was that the two other guys still had outs -- a 4 dropping would give Nooby Mc Noob a boat and Ace Ten needed a Q for the gutshot.

The turn came a blank giving them a tiny bit of hope, but alas, as I knew it would, the other Jack dropped on the riv for my SEXY boat.

That's how King Jack'o'spades rolls, mofuckers. I ended up winning the sit and go and putting the money towards the local orphanage (by towards it I mean towards the campaign for it to be demolished for a 24-hour poker lounge to be erected in its place.)

Hats carve up the Panthers

2007-06-14T01:18:00.000+10:00

Tonight, two of the balling Hats members did the unthinkable, not only making the final table but actually coming FIRST and SECOND on the night. Diz Lizzle and Ace smoked the final table like a chimney with a nicotine problem.

The final hand was Dizzy Lee's raggedy King versus an unthinkably powerful hand -- the PIPES ("the poipes!") J9. Unfortunately James obviously didn't believe in the pipes enough and was beaten for a fucking awesome 2nd place finishing.

The two hats outwitted, outplayed, and outkicked the other finalists to let the region know who the REAL gangsta team is.

Congratulations to the two ballers.

It's just not fair.

2007-06-12T11:44:00.001+10:00

This is the LAST HAND in a 36 person satellite into a larger satellite into a LARGER satellite that wins a WSOP ticket.

Fuck I hate poker.

Dealer: Hotgmama posts the small blind of 1,500
Dealer: Willskis posts the big blind of 3,000
Dealer: You have been dealt [3h Kc]
Dealer: Hotgmama calls 1,500
Dealer: Willskis checks
Dealer: The flop is [Qs 3c Kh]
Dealer: Willskis checks
Dealer: Hotgmama bets 3,000
Dealer: Willskis raises to 6,000
Dealer: Hotgmama calls 3,000
Dealer: The turn is [8d]
Dealer: Willskis bets 18,000 <-- This, kiddies, is what's called a POT-SIZED BET, enough to give anyone who wishes to call odds of 2:1 -- insufficient odds to call a straight, flush, or trips draw.
Dealer: Hotgmama calls 18,000
Dealer: The river is [Js]
Dealer: Willskis bets 14,640, and is all in
Hotgmama: I have to call
Dealer: Hotgmama has 15 seconds left to act
Dealer: Hotgmama calls 12,360, and is all in
Dealer: Uncalled bet of 2,280 returned to Willskis
Dealer: Willskis shows two pair, Kings and Threes
Dealer: Hotgmama shows a straight, Ace high
Dealer: Hotgmama wins the pot (78,720) with a straight, Ace
high

Patience, young one

2007-06-12T09:36:00.001+10:00

A lot of hot-headed young players (myself included) have a lot of trouble being patient at the table. They want to get into as many pots as possible with each other and tangle with other players hands. Often this will result with people playing marginal hands in unfavourable positions.

Yesterday at Terry's homegame I decided to take it upon myself to be as patient and smart with my chips as I could, and play a squeaky tight game (which goes against my general loose-aggressive image). I'll admit it was made easier by the poor quality of my cards, but I did find myself folding mediocre hands that I might often play aggressively in late such as QTs, JTs, A9s, and pockets below 7. I ended up being simply blinded down about 750 chips after around an hour's play.

However, the thing about patience in tournaments is that after all that is said and done, one hand can ruin everything if you decide you don't "feel" like playing patiently anymore.

After doubling up with a well-timed two-pair with A3os on my BB, I found myself looking at two 4s in the small blind. Terry's son was at the end of the table and raised the pot to 800, which was 600 over the blinds. I decided to make the call out of position because I felt that Terry's son (being a tad new to the game and known for his penchant for chasing straights and flushes) could be outmanoeuvred postflop by a more experienced player such as myself.

The board brought a 2, a 6 and a K. Noting my opponent didn't immediately look at my stack but rather focused on the board, I had put him on either a pair less than Kings or a large Ace such as a Jack or Queen that missed the board.

What happened next made all my patient play come to naught. Thinking that he would call any draw with whatever small amount I would bet, I figured the only way to play him off his hand would be to go all-in, which was 3325 into a pot of roughly 1800. It's a risk I often take when I sense a player is weak or hesitant, a massive overbet of the pot to simply take it there and then because they do not want to be out of the tournament and they cannot take the risk.

So I made the move and after thinking for maybe 20 seconds he made the call with his pocket 7s which were of course good enough to win him the massive pot.

The point I'm trying to make is that the stupid impatient move that I made at this point was enough to knock me out of the tournament and into my car berating myself that I'd made such a retarded move. When you play patient and tight, don't let boredom, frustration, or any kind of goading let you get more involved in a pot than you really should be. I originally called with my 4s thinking that if I made a set I would be able to double up. But after I missed my 4, and the board brought two overcards (one of which I wasn't worried about unless my opponent had 2 of the same in his hand) my original tight plan went out the window and in a moment of recklessness I lost all my chips and was sent to the rail.

Don't be a noob like Stylez, stay cool as a cucumber at the table and watch the pennies roll in.

Anyway, I'm off to play poker with this hot bitch:

STYLEZ OUT
PEACE

They have donkeys online, too...

2007-06-11T00:22:00.000+10:00

Dealer: You have been dealt [Ac Jc]
Dealer: Jenny92 folds
Dealer: lvbadbob folds
Dealer: Willskis raises to $0.50
Dealer: frdlvrxlt26 folds
Dealer: l0vetotilt2 folds
Dealer: 1wirenut calls $0.25
Dealer: The flop is [7c As Qs]
Dealer: 1wirenut checks
Dealer: Willskis bets $0.25
Dealer: 1wirenut calls $0.25
Dealer: The turn is [Kc]
Dealer: 1wirenut checks
Dealer: Willskis bets $0.50
Dealer: 1wirenut calls $0.50
Dealer: The river is [4h]
Dealer: 1wirenut bets $0.50
Dealer: Willskis raises to $1
Dealer: 1wirenut calls $0.50
Dealer: Willskis shows a pair of Aces
Dealer: 1wirenut shows two pair, Kings and Fours
Dealer: 1wirenut wins the pot ($4.40) with two pair, Kings and
Fours

Must have been an Avalanche player. That ain't balling.

Final Table

2007-06-10T23:05:00.001+10:00

Stylez and Sarah were at the final table of tonight's Panther's event with 83 runners. The Hats roll with the punches at the poker table, with a right, left, right left you're toothless -- and then you say "GODDAMN THEY RUTHLESS."

Everywhere we go, they say "damn."
Five Hats and Shit are fucking up the program.
But then they realise we don't care,
we don't just say no,
WE'RE TOO BUSY SAYING YEAH!

(If that paragraph confuses you, look up NWA - Gangsta Gangsta on Google. It's the new Five Hats and Shit song. I just decided now.)

Stylez OUT

Averages

2007-06-10T17:29:00.000+10:00

The Hats have been criticised on their average player score by team Avalanche. We would just like to put forward the fact that 4 of the Hats -- Sarah, Ben, Rabs and Matty P-- don't even play APL freerolls. Also, no NPL averages were taken into account -- where 3 of the Hats have made the top 20 in the region -- 2 in the top 6. Also, the Hats have made the most cashes in NPL cash games of any poker team -- over 20 between them.

Though we play free poker, the Hats true spirit shines in the cash rolls -- we ain't pissy free poker players, we're high rolling gangstas. Remember that.

PEACE

P.S The hats enjoyed a huge home game today at Terry's Poker League in West Bathurst. At the time of writing, Matty P is still rolling in the top 3 with a decent stack. Styles busted out in 4th and Big Ben dropped out 5th. Bubble Boys fo life! Good luck Matty P -- I've got no doubt you're going to take that mofo down.

Five Hats and Shit REPRESENT YO.

2007-06-09T20:11:00.000+10:00

Let me give you the skinny. This blog is being created by me, Big Willy Stylez, to let everyone in the Central West get the scoop about the hottest and youngest poker team in Bathurst and Orange .. (and sometimes Oberon. But not often, every time we go out there we get taken out when our pocket Ks lose to some drunken fuckwit who looks like he was spawned by two of the degenerate freaks from The Hills Have Eyes when he plays his 8-3 SUITED).

The site will have bad language, so if you're too much of a pansy to accept the diatribes of a true baller such as myself (or any other Five Hats member) leave now. COCK. CUNT. ARSE. I told you.

HISTORY OF FIVE HATS AND SHIT

One fine evening, a few young sprightly lads named Matthew, William, and Benjamin were at the local Edinboro Castle Hotel. They decided it would be rather sporting to place a general wager of $1 a press into the machine which was delightfully titled "Cash Chameleon".

"Good show!" shouted Ben at the machine. "I'd dearly love for you to pay out a spiffy amount of dollar coins based on the moderate wager of which I am putting forward."

"Jolly good," agreed Will.

"Chim chim cheroo," piped in Matthew, in an interjection that contributed nothing to the conversation, but actually did sound rather British and formal.

The machine did actually reciprocate to the behest of the three young gamblers. For not one, but two, three four, FIVE silver hats lined the middle row of the cash machine. The bells rang and the clangers clanged, and the machine payed the boys enough money so that they could drink many a lager and have a rather sporting old time ALL night.

ALTERNATE VERSION

Like the gangstas they were, Stylez, Matty P and Big Ben were pulling rolled up twenty-dollar bundles from their pockets and throwing them through the poker machine like it weren't nobody's business. They'd already hammered down at least 26 rum-on-taps each, and were thinking about how they were going to make their next cool 10 G payout, and what kind of wigga they'd have to bust a cap in to make the green.

They rolled up to a pokie in one of the dark corners of the Eddy. It said "Cash Chameleon", so Benny said "fuck it. Let's put some dollars into this player, yo."

Pulling a 100 dollar note from a pile of 99 more of the same, Matty P said "Whatever dawg."

It looked like getting chameleons was the way to make the machine payout. "COME ON FUCK YA," shouted Benny. "GIVE US SOME CHAMELEONS N SHIT."

But the machine actually put 5 silver top hats on the screen. This payed just as balling as the chameleons would have.

"FUCKING GIVE US SOME FIVE HATS AND SHIT," yelled Stylez, before headbutting a passing wigga for looking at him the wrong way.

The machine payed out again and again. The Five Hats just kept on rolling -- much the way the current Five Hats roll: fast and living large.

The gangstas dined in style that night. After enjoying supermodel accompaniment in a jacuzzi filled with money, they decided that the magical abilities of the Five Hats would lead them to success in every gangsta aspect of life, and joined a poker team that would be comprised of no one but true ballers.

They started small, and still remain very selective of who joins such a balling poker team.

But the current member sheet is as follows:

Benjamin "Big Ben" Stark -- The TOP HAT.
Ryan "MC Rabs" Rhind
Matt "Matty P" Pakulski
Nick "Diz Lizzle" Eviston
Will "Stylez" Longfield
Sarah "OUTTA MAH FACE BIATCH" Weal

And our two trial Members,

Shannon "Wolf" Hart
James "Ace" Mann

This is a team who knows where shit's at. We accept any challenge, even from inferior teams, because we're just true ballers. We'll teach you shit about poker when you sit down to play with us. Come get schooled by the Hats, AWW YEAH.

Stylez OUT...

POICE