Archive for February 2nd, 2009

It’s embarrassing how, after three years of playing poker very seriously, I’m still affected so dramatically by short-term results. For two weeks, I was getting brutalized, doubting my instincts, and not playing my best. Then I have one big day and I’m back to making good reads and following through on them.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (2 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (SB) ($1168.50)
Button ($1144)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A, 8
Button raises to $30, Hero calls $20

Flop: ($60) 9, J, 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $30, Hero raises to $88, Button calls $58

Turn: ($236) J (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks

River: ($236) 7 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $175, Hero calls $175

Total pot: $586 | Rake: $0.50

Results:
Button had 8, Q (one pair, Jacks).
Hero had A, 8 (one pair, Jacks).
Outcome: Hero won $585.50

This one isn’t anything special, but it’s a spot where I probably would have folded last week. When you’re running bad, you always think they have it. But really, I think his value betting range, at least for a bet of this size, is like K9+. And the best hands in that range probably bet the turn. Throw in the fact that some draws missed and that he’s probably floating pretty wide on the flop, and this is practically a standard river call.  Read the complete post...

What a month. It started out well enough, and after about a week and a half I was well on my way to a very solid January. Then all hell broke loose, and I lost heavily for the rest of the month, finishing it well in the red. I already made one whine post, so I won’t do any more of that here.

The good news is that the month is over and I started February off yesterday with a great day, digging myself about a third of the way out of the hole. First a graph, then we’ll look at progress towards the year’s goals:

Resolution One: Keep Grinding NLHE Cash Games

Goal 1: Earn $X in NLHE Cash Games

Ha. At this rate, I’ll be busto by the end of the year.

Goal 2: Earn Supernova status on PokerStars

I’m already a Gold Star, not that that takes much. I earned 9022 VPPs, which actually wouldn’t see me hit Supernova until November. However, I now have more money on Stars than I do on FTP, so hopefully I’ll be playing bigger and more often on there. Probably I’ll make Supernova by September, certainly by the end of the year.

Resolution Two: Diversify My Income Streams

Goal 3: Monetize This Blog  Read the complete post...

I pretty much never open limp, with the occasional exception of being in very early position, usually UTG, at a full ring table. This is particularly true in tournaments, because there is so much value in stealing the pot pre-flop and stacks aren’t generally deep enough to play a wide range of hands this way. In this case, though, based on the players and stack sizes behind me, I thought this would be the best course of action:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $200+$15 Tournament, 7500/15000 Blinds 1500 Ante (9 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (MP3) (t495306)
CO (t112184)
Button (t95700)
SB (t581685)
BB (t193605)
UTG (t345760)
UTG+1 (t293030)
MP1 (t634248)
MP2 (t277758)

Hero’s M: 13.76

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with Q, K
4 folds, Hero calls t15000, CO raises to t110684 (All-In), 3 folds, Hero calls t95684

Flop: (t257368) J, 10, 5 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: (t257368) K (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t257368) 3 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: t257368

Results:
Hero had Q, K (one pair, Kings).
CO had A, 8 (high card, Ace).
Outcome: Hero won t257368  Read the complete post...