A Night Out

Went to the Norwich Poker Club last night, in the local metropolis. A fairly seedy joint which consisted of a large mainly empty room with about 7 poker tables and a couple of pool tables and thats about it.

The comp was a £10 rebuy, with two 50 minute levels of rebuys and then a double add on. The table I sat on for the rebuy period was reasonable maniac free, with a decent bunch who were there for a game of cards and not to spend loads on rebuying after a needless all in. Lost an all in with QQ to KK and rebought once, and at the end of the rebuys I was sat with 2675 (1000 starting stack), I took the double add on to take me to 4675, which just a little lower than average on the table.

Soon after the freezeout started, I managed to have a couple of double ups after a few spins of the table, plus had a few shots at the pots to no avail. The I managed to double up with AK holding up against 65 sooted, plus then knocked out two short stacks in one hand to get to about 25k (with about 25 players left, 50 started), which was about 10% of all the chips in the tourney (think it was 256000). This obviously left a couple of seats at the table and one of them (to my immediate left) was filled by a monster stack which was not good news. Even worse was that he was intent on heavily reraising me everytime I was in a pot. I soon got the message and went into the shell for a few spins of the table but by this time the blinds were up to 500/1000 and I was down to 13k. The serial raiser was deffo at it and a few times he had mucked his uncontested winning hand in such a way that his mates behind him could see what he was throwing, to which they all chuntered or chuckled, I was thinking he playing any high cards and wanted to catch him for a double up. Eventually I got dealt KcJc in the SB, serial raiser in the BB, this was to be my time. Everyone folded to me and I had already decided I would go all in if needed, but just raised about 3k to which he was already sussing out my stack size to put me all in. I called him and flips over A6o and he hits and an A on the flop to hammer the nails in the coffin lid and send me home.

I could have waited a bit longer, but six handed the blinds were spinning quick and I was getting shorter and shorter so am happy with the play above, just not the result. But hey thats poker, and if I was in his position with his stack I would have been taking everyone on too, as I had done to get to the 25k in the first place. The thing that bugs me most was I knew what he was doing but was powerless to do anything about it.

Some Random Stats from Poker Tracker

In a moment of boredom this afternoon, between innings in the 20/20, and after winning two $10 stt's in a row on Partypoker I was looking through my Poker Tracker stats. Some that maybe of interest from the 33880 tournament hands that I have stored:

Most Dealt Hand: J8o - 346 times
Least Dealt Hand: 94s - 82 times

Highest Winning % Hand - AA 86.67%
Lowest Winning % Hand - Q8s 0.82%

Most Tournament Money Won - ATo
Most Tournament Money Lost - 93o

Most Raised Hand Pre-Flop - JJ 79.70%
Least Raised Hand Pre-Flop - 21 Hands on 0%

Big Hands:

Straight Flush x 2
Four of a Kind x 13

Most Played Against Players:

jack high - 31
tc34 - 24
Xaarcasm - 23
paulsav - 18
emzo - 18
Toucan - 18
shalimah - 16
USAracing - 15
Doob - 15
jazz 20 - 13

And thats about your lot, how does that compare with you?

Feeling Grand

Had another great finish in the 4k Gtd on Betfair last night, getting 6th place for £200. At the same time I entered the $5 triple shootout and finished 3rd in that for about $108. A major milestone has now been passed in so far as my Betfair balance now exceeds £1000 for the first time ever. Looking forward to do doing the monthly accounts in a few days as it has been an extremely successful few weeks, not just on Betfair but on some of the other clients that I use.

Frazzled

Going to have a break for a couple of days.

I have played umpteen STTs over the last week with not much to show for it, plenty of MTTs with nothing to show for it, and I have just become a bit tired of it all. I played a few $10 STTs on partypoker this morning and won a couple, then played a couple of 5 seater STTs on virgin and won 1 and came 2nd in the other. So not a bad day, but come the flashmob game tonight, I trapped a great hand to go into 2nd place in chips, but then just spazzed away the chips like a muppet. I dont quite feel right in the head so will have a couple of days off and see if it helps.

By the way, does anyone read this blog? I have posted some, what I thought were, thought provoking posts, but no comments. Ah well, maybe need an advertising campaign!

Go Easy On A Flashmobber?

Played just the 12 STTs on betfair today and managed a massive 40p profit on them... sheeesh, maybe plus a couple of quid in cakeback. This huge profit didnt quite cover the multis I have entered today (4k gtd, a couple of €50 bonuses. satellite for the 10k) so I am down a bit on the day.

Anyway in the last one tonight a situation arose which has caused me some thought. Me and Snap had played a couple of the same STTs, and in this particular one there were four players left, one big stack and three little ones, me and Snap included, on the SB and BB. Other short stack utg folds, as does the big stack. I've got 1309 and Snap has 640 after paying the blinds. I have A6 off suit. My normal play would be to stuff them in and pressure the shorty, this I do and Snap calls in a flash with 88. Here is the hand in full:

Game #2258136953: Hold'em NL (300/600) - 2006/08/19 - 21:50:57 (GMT)
Table "STT1 3286075 - 1" Seat 2 is the button.
Seat 2: MickLFC (5969 in chips)
Seat 3: ajcairns (1609 in chips)
Seat 5: .snap. (1240 in chips)
Seat 8: Sparx (1182 in chips)
ajcairns: posts small blind 300
.snap.: posts big blind 600
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to ajcairns [6d Ah]
Sparx: folds
MickLFC: folds
ajcairns: raises to 1609 and is all-in
.snap.: is all-in 640
Returned uncalled bets 369 to ajcairns&lt;B< span>r>----- FLOP ----- [2s 7h 3h]
----- TURN ----- [2s 7h 3h][8d]
----- RIVER ----- [2s 7h 3h 8d][5h]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
ajcairns: shows [6d Ah] (High Card Ace)
.snap.: shows [8h 8s] (Three of a kind, Eights, Seven high)
.snap. collects 2480 from Main pot
----- SUMMARY -----
Total pot 2480 Main pot 2480 Rake 0
Board [2s 7h 3h 8d 5h]
Seat 2: MickLFC (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: ajcairns (small blind) showed [6d Ah] and lost
Seat 5: .snap. (big blind) showed [8h 8s] and won (2480) with Three of a kind, Eights, Seven high
Seat 8: Sparx folded before Flop (didn't bet)

So if I had done as the title of this thread suggests and gone easy on him, I would have had 1309 and Snap would have been on 1540 and the other shorty on 1182 and about to pay 600 on the BB. Even though it was normal play, it bothered me that it was Snap and it looked as if I was trying to bubble him. Hindsight is a great thing, but maybe I should have soft played as the other shorty would have then been under extreme pressure, and me with no blinds to pay for two hands. As it happens, I went out a couple of hands later, the big stack went out in 3rd, Snap 2nd and the other original shorty went on to win.

Personally, when I am playing my run of the mill STTs I would prefer not to play a flashmobber as it affects the way I play, ever so slightly, but nonetheless it does. Happy to hear your views on this subject.

Better

Bombed out the 4k gtd on betfair earlier on but the stt's have gone pretty well.

Friday results:
5 STTs
1 1st
2 2nd
2 Unplaced
+£27.50

Overall
30 STTs
5 1sts
5 2nds
3 3rds
17 Unplaced
+£60.00

As it turns out I have been quite happy with these last 5 nights of STTs, £60 up is a good return for me. I have been in the money just over 40% of the time which must be fairly good, and to win 16% is pleasing. Not to have a losing night out of 5 is another plus point.

Getting Tedious

STT mania continues with slow results. I will give it one more night then sack it if I feel like this still. Not losing but only making very slow progress.

Thursday results:
5 STTs
1 1st
1 2nd
3 Unplaced
+£12.50

Overall
25 STTs
4 1sts
3 2nds
3 3rds
15 Unplaced
+£32.50

Concentrating on the Job is Key

Continued my STT fest tonight, but was initially distracted by doing a couple of other things online. Bad move as I didnt place in any of them.

Stopped everything else and pulled it all back by winning one and coming second in the other.

Wednesdays results:
7 STTs
1 1st
1 2nd
5 Unplaced
+£2

Overall
20 STTs
3 1sts
2 2nds
3 3rds
12 Unplaced
+£20

STT Mania Update

Second night of my STT fest, not as good as last night, one win got me out the sheeite.

Tuesdays results:
4 STTs
1 1st
3 Unplaced
+£3

Overall
13 STTs
2 1sts
1 2nds
3 3rds
7 Unplaced
+£18

Back on the STT Gravy Train

MTTs weren't really doing it for me, even though I had four really good cashes in Multis, which has more than doubled my betfair bankroll in the last week and a half. I feel like I should be playing STTs, I dont know why and I cant explain it, I cant even back it up with results. I will give it a week or so, and play the odd 4K gtd on betfair, and the odd wild two quidder, but that will be it and I will see how I get on just playing £5 (or occasionally £10) STTs .

Mondays results:
9 STTs
1 1sts
1 2nds
3 3rds
4 Unplaced
+£15

Its all over

Crashed out the 4k on betfair tonight in 180th ish. Thats it, my run is over, it was the 4th time I had entered it and the first time I have not cashed, I am absolutely gutted. :)

Played two STTs on Virgin and cashed in both, but won neither.

The run goes on

Had a go at the £4k on betfair again tonight and finished 8th, for £104 and change.

In a remarkable turn of form, thats about 400 quid up in as many days, happy days.

BTW, if any Punterloungers are reading, sorry for the alleged spam post to Masterplan, no malice intended.

AlexthebossRoss excepted as you are now officially banned from this blog, you grass.

Half Decent Weekend

Had a very good weekend on Betfair and Mansion.

Mansion, played 3 x small stakes stt's and cashed in all three.

As for betfair, phew what a scorcher!

Friday night - entered 2 mtts, the 4k and another $10 entry, finished 20th in the 4k for £40 and 5th in the $10 for another £46, nice return to the game after a couple of weeks off.

Saturday, 1 x stt and finished 3rd

Sunday, enter the flashmob game and cam 3rd for £18 and than randomly entered the 10:45pm £2 thunder and managed to luck in with a win for the princely sum of £217.92 !!!

So £300 or so up over the weekend, very happy, a good start to the month.

Pokerchamps Referral

Could any of the guys who have clicked on my referral buttons for Pokerchamps let me know their nicknames on there as at the moment noone is showing up on my account. I can also arrange for some free cash to be put into your account (only $10 mind you, but its free money).

For anyone else who hasnt signed up yet, then when you do (through my banners of course), also let me know and I will sort you out with the free $10 also.

Apparently you also have to make your account a real one and not just a fun one***

End of Month, and I'm back

Totally forgot the end of month account, but then again I havent been playing so it didnt really matter. A couple of posts ago I said that I was runnng a bit rough and didnt seem to be playing well. Thats about right too as I had my third only losing month to the tune of £2.29. Not a big loss I know but I did have a decent size mtt cash at the start of the month. That said the bank is still healthy at just under 1.7k.

Just finished 20th in the betfair 4k in my first mtt back after been away for about £30 profit, which is a nice way back in.

Keep clicking on those pokerchamps banners by the way!

Update: Also finished 5th in a 180 runner $10 mtt for $80 tonight. I am officially back.