Welcome to Thunderdome

Posted: **Thu Aug 30, 2007 4:10 pm**

Played the 6:00 Pokerstars freeroll yesterday.

When it started, I won the first two hands with min raises because everybody else was sitting out.
Then someone popped in and folded to me.
Then I chased him off two pots.
So I won the first five hands in a row.
When he saw I was a bully he put me all-in with his top pair on a Q/6/6 flop. Of course, I had the 6.

Anyway, I was up to 5k with an average (tournament) chipstack of maybe 1.7K when this hand happened:

He lead out with a min bet pre-flop and I called.
We both check post-flop to trap the other.
We both checked the the turn to trap the other.
He checked the river.
I raised.
He re-raised.
I put him all-in.
He called.
Doh!

At least it happened early in the game, and at least it was in a situation where I was destined to lose all my chips.

I made a suicidal move on the next hand to quit and play tables, but I ended up tripling up.
I wrote "I'm all in next hand" and threw my $1,500 in and wouldn't you know it, practically the entire table called! I think there were 6 callers at that point. I did not win that hand.
Anyway, moving to the table game was a good move. I checked my stats and in the last 100 hands I saw the flop 32 times, winning 10/11 showdowns and taking the pot 8 times without a showdown.

Edited By Paul on 1188504954

Posted: **Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:54 pm**

I've started trying a new tactic in tournies that's working well for me. Traditionally I play pretty tight and fold crap almost all the time. But my new tactic is to always limp in when the other players will let me, no matter what I've got. I've caught a fairly high percentage of decent flops on crap hole cards, at least more than I expected to.

I played 10 tournies tonight, and made it to six final tables (at final table, I go back to folding crap, btw). I only won 1st in one of them, though. Prize is free entry to another tourney (5000 peeps), in which top five go on to another tourney (3600 peeps) that sends the top nine off to Australia's main poker tourney all expense paid.

Posted: **Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:37 pm**

The Aussie Millions? I think that's the big one.

The limp in strategy seems like a good idea. I think I'll try it.

I was looking to exit the one freeroll I joined and called two all-in's early in with pocket 8's. The other two had 10/10 and J/J.
The table cards ended up being 9/6/4/5/7.
I laughed out loud maniacally when the 7 I was chanting for turned up, breaking them both. If I was on PokerTime I would have talked smack about what a genius I was.

In the table games I had a long slide in the red, until I made a big situational/character-based play that paid off big time and put me in the black.

Posted: **Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:18 am**

TPRJones wrote:But my new tactic is to always limp in when the other players will let me, no matter what I've got. I've caught a fairly high percentage of decent flops on crap hole cards, at least more than I expected to.

I've always said that betting is sometimes just how much you're willing to pay to see the cards. I've never folded crap until it started costing me chips.

Posted: **Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:25 pm**

I played the 9:00 p.m. freeroll last night. My first tournament and I finished #191 out of 5000.

I got beat by some guy who kept going all in. I had to call his pre-flop all-in as I had AAs. Someone else called with JJs. He beat us both with his Q-8 off.

Posted: **Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:25 pm**

Leisher wrote:I got beat by some guy who kept going all in. I had to call his pre-flop all-in as I had AAs. Someone else called with JJs. He beat us both off.

Ewww.

Posted: **Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:30 pm**

Leisher wrote:I got beat by some guy who kept going all in. I had to call his pre-flop all-in as I had AAs. Someone else called with JJs. He beat us both off.

Well at least you got something out of it.

I hit a table game last night, was being a bully, and a new guy went all-in after I made a 5x big blind raise.

I had Q/Q, called, then screamed at myself "Why did you just do that you idiot! He has Aces or Kings!"
In table games (as opposed to tournaments) people go all-in pre flop with A/A, K/K, or Q/Q. Occasionally people with J/J will, but not often.
It was a stupid call on my part.
On Pokerstars you don't see their cards until the end, so when a Queen came on the flop I pumped my arm in victory because I knew I had just sucked out.

Sure enough he had A/A. So I stole a substantial pot off him. I can't believe I made that call though. It was stupid.

I also hit a 9 player sit & go. By the time there were three of us (the paying positions) I had more than half the chips at the table.

When I got heads up I continued to take chips from the remaining guy. At one point I had about 10,500 and he had around 3,000.
Several times I'd flop two pair and lose to him getting a weird straight. He was up to 9k at one point but I managed to take the lead back.

We switched places a lot. Eventually he had the chip lead, I flopped two pair, and he caught a straight on the turn, which eliminated me.

Edited By Paul on 1188935729

Posted: **Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:16 pm**

If a person got beat off when they lost at poker, internet poker would be in every home and office in America.

I was in the 6 p.m. freeroll and the 9 p.m.

In the 6 I went out around 500th place. I had an above average stack and was playing smart. I got pocket rockets and was betting them huge. Some cock smoker with a smaller stack called every bet including my huge pre-flop raise while playing a J-4 of spades. He hit his flush on the river which crippled me.

In the 9 game I finished at 290 when my pocket Ks were beat by a AQoff. I'm $.20 richer!!!

Posted: **Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:09 pm**

Leisher wrote:If a person got beat off when they lost at poker, internet poker would be in every home and office in America.

I was in the 6 p.m. freeroll and the 9 p.m.

In the 6 I went out around 500th place. I had an above average stack and was playing smart. I got pocket rockets and was betting them huge. Some cock smoker with a smaller stack called every bet including my huge pre-flop raise while playing a J-4 of spades. He hit his flush on the river which crippled me.

In the 9 game I finished at 290 when my pocket Ks were beat by a AQoff. I'm $.20 richer!!!

Coolness.
From what I can tell the 6:00 one is easier than the 9:00.
At the beginning of one 6:00 game, I was the only active player for the first couple hands.

I'm signed up for the 6:00 tonight, but I shouldn't be playing as it's my 8th wedding anniversary so we're going out for Chinese and a movie (Superbad).

Send me your I.D. so I can railbird ya some time.

Posted: **Tue Sep 04, 2007 6:59 pm**

Paul wrote:Send me your I.D. so I can railbird ya some time.

Why do you want his driver's license?

Posted: **Wed Sep 05, 2007 9:21 am**

TheCatt wrote:
Paul wrote:Send me your I.D. so I can railbird ya some time.
Why do you want his driver's license?

Do you want to examine his sack?

Posted: **Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:11 am**

Why do you want his driver's license?

Sarcasm and smarmy doesn't travel well via written word, thus are you making jokes or being petty?

Posted: **Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:14 am**

Leisher wrote:
Why do you want his driver's license?
Sarcasm and smarmy doesn't travel well via written word, thus are you making jokes or being petty?

Jokes.

Seriously, I wouldn't be petty over something so, uh, petty.

Posted: **Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:58 am**

I figured. I just wanted to be sure.

Posted: **Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:11 pm**

Hit two freerolls tonight. I actually had time to concentrate, so I played two at a time. (The wife is out of town)

Finished in 99th place (out of 6k) on Pokertime when I went all-in pre-flop with Q/Q and was called by A/A. Had I won that, I'd probably have been in the top 25. People were dropping like crazy and the pot was a monster.
Anyway, I earned $1 for that 2:15 of work.

I got to around 630th place (out of 8k entrants) in the freeroll on Pokerstars. I goofed and thought it was the $200 freeroll. It forgot that I missed signing up for that, so I'd signed up for the "top 27 get free entry..." tournament instead. Bleh! Once I realized my mistake I was out of the game less than 10 minutes later.

Posted: **Sun Sep 09, 2007 9:25 pm**

On Pokertime now.
I have a good chance of cashing in the freeroll again.
999 players left. I'm in 15th place. (5,647 entrants)

Average stack 6,300
My stack 25,500

Edit: Just made the $1 level. On the 2 hour break now. 39th place of 152 remaining.
I have 54k, with 37k being the average stack.

Don't expect to last too much further. Blinds were 2000/4000 before the break, and I'd rather rick my neck and go for the big money at the end.

Final: 13th place. Blinds were 40,000/80,000. Not much maneuvering room.
$2.25 richer for 3 hours work.

Here's the turning point of the tournament. I *planned* on going to bed early tonight. So much for plans.

> kankie_79 posted small blind (25)
> SvgePenguin posted big blind (50)
> Game # 1,603,858,399 starting.
> Dealing Hole Cards(Jd 10d )
> DeLaSerna went all-in for 1,797.50
> ZER94140 went all-in for 6,396.25
SvgePenguin> You got me beat, but I'm ready to go home.
> SvgePenguin called for 6,346.25
> Dealing the Flop(9c 7d 7c )
> Dealing the turn(6h )
> Dealing the river(8s )
> SvgePenguin wins 14,615 with a Straight, Jack high
> DeLaSerna has left the tournament in 2829th place
> ZER94140 has left the tournament in 2828th place

Edited By Paul on 1189396713

Posted: **Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:40 pm**

Hit a table game last night. I wasn't excited about playing, but didn't mind losing a little to pass the time.

It took ten minutes to find a table I liked, and after playing there 20 minutes I realized that it was a barely profitable game, except for one guy.

This guy chased me off several hands when he had top pair with a *lousy* kicker. He'd do all-ins and such with lousy cards. I knew that if I could hit two pair or trips that I could get him all in.
Because of him I added more chips.

I kept encouraging his play, congratulation him, etc.

Then I took 25% of his stack by just calling all the way when he kept betting with his top pair (Jacks) with a 4 kicker. I had J/Q.
I realized that I could have all-inned him and he would have caller. But during the hand, I kept only calling because I figured maybe he actually had something.

I mean, how often is making a big move with only top pair at a table game going to be a plus EV play? But against this guy...

I ended up winning the very next hand because of a bigger kicker.

I won the hand after that after three of us checked to the river with a scary flop and my 5/5 held up.

After each win I commented on how I was just barely squeaking by.

The next hand (after 3 wins in a row) I was the small blind with 8/2 suited and just called.
The flop was 8/2/9, giving me two pair.
I raised, he re-raised, and I called.
The turn was a 4. I raised, he re-raised, and I called.
The river was a 3. I raised, he he made a big re-raise (half his remaining chips). I responded by going all-in.

I was really nervous going all-in to such aggression with bottom two pair, but I just couldn't see him having a hand. He wasn't dumb enough to chase a straight. He'd have raised pre-flop with any small pocket pair, so he didn't have a set. The only hand that I couldn't beat that he might have had was 8/9. But even then I think he would have raised more.
I guessed that he either got tricky and was trying to trap pre-flop with A/A or K/K, or he had A/9.

Well, he didn't think for a second and insta-called me.

Doh! He must have sucked out. My trap must have backfired.

Ends up he had J/9. Just top pair with a Jack kicker! He was true to form. Whew!

Posted: **Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:05 pm**

He was probably thinking "Jack kicker! Finally! Surely I can beat his kicker with my Jack!"

Posted: **Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:10 pm**

TPRJones wrote:He was probably thinking "Jack kicker! Finally! Surely I can beat his kicker with my Jack!"

That's *exactly* what he was thinking.

I keep a list of players who I'd like to play again. I'll be looking for him.

Posted: **Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:05 pm**

Has anybody tried the PPA membership tournamenton Pokerstars?

From what I can tell, it's free to enter, and they only drawback is that they sign you up for a free (temporary) PPA membership.

The good news... well... The tournament going right now (60512082) has $5,000 in prize money and only 2910 entries. Pokerstars usually gives out $200, to a field of 8,000 players, so that's very generous.

First place is $919.50. The top 7 places are over $100.
The top 90 places are $10 or more.
Anything 414th or better gets $2.

That is not bad. Not bad at all.
__

Watching Negreanu play at a $100/$200 table.
He bought in for $20k.
He was up a seven grand... then:

PokerStars Game #12007336105: Hold'em No Limit ($100/$200) - 2007/09/11 - 21:52:49 (ET)
Table 'Frisia' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 2: idoubleL ($4495 in chips)
Seat 3: kerpowski ($4350 in chips)
Seat 5: KidPoker ($27369 in chips)
Seat 6: ktrieu ($27876 in chips)
Seat 7: MezmerizePLZ ($24285 in chips)
Seat 9: nestegg1 ($23230 in chips)
MezmerizePLZ: posts small blind $100
nestegg1: posts big blind $200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
idoubleL: folds
kerpowski: folds
KidPoker: raises $400 to $600
ktrieu: folds
MezmerizePLZ: raises $1624 to $2224
nestegg1: folds
idoubleL said, "nestegg i admire your prudence"
KidPoker: calls $1624
*** FLOP *** [7s Qs 2s]
idoubleL said, "takes discipline to know when youre outclassed and to save face and stop talking"
MezmerizePLZ: bets $3200
KidPoker: raises $6000 to $9200
idoubleL said, "you good at practicing avoidance"
MezmerizePLZ: raises $12861 to $22061 and is all-in
KidPoker: calls $12861
*** TURN *** [7s Qs 2s] [4h]
*** RIVER *** [7s Qs 2s 4h] [9d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
MezmerizePLZ: shows [As Qd] (a pair of Queens)
KidPoker: shows [Ts Js] (a flush, Queen high)
KidPoker collected $48765 from pot
KidPoker said, "cooler"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $48770 | Rake $5
Board [7s Qs 2s 4h 9d]
Seat 2: idoubleL folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: kerpowski folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: KidPoker showed [Ts Js] and won ($48765) with a flush, Queen high
Seat 6: ktrieu (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: MezmerizePLZ (small blind) showed [As Qd] and lost with a pair of Queens
Seat 9: nestegg1 (big blind) folded before Flop

Edit (again) : He just one a 12k pot as well.

..and again: He left with just over 66k. Not bad for buying in with 20k.
He's in Europe now, and just finished day one of the European WSoP. He said he did really well on day 1 (today).

Edited By Paul on 1189567150