Dragged a comb across my head... The Beatles
Friday 2nd. Live Tournament
I went to the Texas Holdem Tourney at the Workingmen's Club, as per usual. Started out well when I hit a full house early on, but after that my hands were just not connecting. Every time I got an ace, it got beat. By the middle stage my stack was almost to the all-in-or-fold level. Then I hit the nut flush a couple of times and chipped up. They started the tournament with 30 minute blind levels, then they dropped down to 20 minutes. My wife was knocked out in 8th place. By the time we reached the bubble (5 players paid) I had less than 10 big blinds left. Managed to limp into the money. Then with 5 players left I had a couple of good collects (one of them another flush). I became the big stack bully and cruised into the top two. It was nearly midnight by this stage so we split the prize pool and I went home with $182. Nice.
Monday 5th. Online SNG session.
I had a day off work so decided to play a few $5.50 SitNGos on 888poker.
1. Bad decision. Early in the game I call an all-in river bet with 2 pair and get beaten by a flopped straight. Left with just 1 1/2 big blinds. I go all-in and hit a straight on the turn with four other players in the pot. Then there is a straight on the board on the river and the pot is split five ways! I get knocked out a couple of hands later, 8th out of 9.
2. Arm wrestle. One of those games where everyone hangs on and the blinds get big with 5 or 6 short-stacked players still in the game. I get off to a bad start, down to all-in-or fold mode. Then I double up and hang around among the shorter stacks, just trying to stay out of trouble. With the BB at 500 (they start at 20) and 5 players still in, three players go all-in and I make the money. But with only 3 BB left, the best I can manage is 3rd.
3. Running good. I double up after getting top pair and calling big bets all the way to the river, where I hit a straight. Turns out the opposition was betting on a flush draw that never came in. I'm to the right of an aggressive player who raises a lot when he's the big stack, then starts going all-in a lot when his stack gets downsized. Eventually I call his pre-flop all-in with AQ and beat his A7. I cruise into the money as the big stack then have a long heads-up battle before finally taking out first prize.
4. Oops. I pick up AK in the first hand and raise to 4x the BB. One player re-raises and there are 3 callers (!) so I 4-bet it and he calls. The flop is something like 3 6 9. The opposition puts in a big bet and, foolishly, I re-raise all-in. He calls with QQ and I leave the game with egg on my face.
5. Roller coaster. I start out well but then lose a lot of chips trying to bluff a persistent player with middle pair. By mid-game I'm down to 5 BBs but chip up with some successful all-ins. I cross the bubble in 3rd position but a series of poor hands and poor decisions result in a 3rd place finish.
My first winning session for this game type for quite a while. Hoping to keep up the momentum.
Wednesday 7th. Online 7 Card Stud.
My regular Wednesday poker night. I go into this low level 7 Card Stud session on Pokerstars with the aim of playing tight. I want to see 4th St (the equivalent of seeing the flop in Holdem) less than 40% of the time. I also aim to chase draws only when I have the right pot odds and always be aware of the number of 'lost outs' - cards that could help me but are showing in someone else's hand. After a while I find that betting when I'm showing a big card and everyone else is checking is usually profitable. I get off to a good start and stay ahead for quite a while. 2 1/2 hours in and my percentage for seeing 4th St goes above 40. Three hours in and my stack drops below my original buy-in. After 4 hours I finish slightly behind. I seldom come out ahead at this game.
Hands where I saw 4th St: 43%
Pots won at showdown: 50%
25 pots won without showdown.
Friday 9th. Live Tournament.
Back to the 'Workies' again. My wife and I turn up and find that there are 32 players this week, a new record. This game is one of a series of ten and players who make the final table (top 10) each week get points for their finishing position. The overall points winner after ten weeks gets a cash prize. I discover that I am currently in first place on the points table. Nice.
As for the game, I get nowhere fast. My best pre-flop hands all night are A9 and 99. I pick up the A9 in my first hand and raise. I get re-raised and fold. My opponent then shows he had AQ. It's always a bonus when you get free information. The 99 did much better. I ended up flopping a set of 9s vs a set of 3s. Collected a nice pot. But didn't get much more after that and ended up all-in with pocket 7s vs AK. Knocked out 18/32.
My wife also got knocked out about the same time, but still managed to win some money. There is a jackpot each game for any player who gets quads (four of a kind) or a straight flush. You pay an extra $2 each week to be in this jackpot. My wife pays into this and she hit quad Aces. So we had to stay around to the end of the game to collect her money. There were quite a few 'rail birds' watching the game at the end. It's getting quite popular.
Wednesday 14th. Online SNG session.
Normally I try to fit in a SNG poker session on the weekend, but it's not always easy to manage. As Fridays are now booked, I've decided to play alternate sessions of SNGs and 7 Stud online, regardless of the day. So my Wednesday poker night this time is a SNG session on 888poker.
1. Very sticky players in this game - they just won't let go. I double up early with a set vs top pair. Then I lose a lot betting QQ hard when a chaser hits a straight on the river. 7/9
2. Early on I get AKs and end up 3 betting it. With an Ace and Queen on the flop I bet big and he calls. A Ten on the turn gives him a set and I end up all-in on the river with a losing hand. 9/9
3. This time it's my flopped top pair vs top set on the flop. I keep calling his bets and am all-in on the river. 8/9
4. I last longer in this one. I end up in a five-way arm wrestle. With fewer than 10 BB I try to trap my opponent when I flop 2 pair. But he turns a flush. Trapped myself. 5/9
5. Should have quit by this stage but decide to play just one more... I pick up chips here and there but am short-stacked towards the end, then get lucky with a couple of all-ins. Make the final three as the short stack, but manage to play my way into first position. Yay! 1/9
6. OK, one more... Lose a lot of chips by playing mid-strength hands from poor position (when will I learn?). With a short stack I limp in with a weak King. I go all-in when I hit top pair and am beaten by both callers; a flopped 2 pair (8 4) and a turned straight (A K). 8/9
Another losing SNG session.
Friday 16th. Live Tournament.
Another big turnout at the Workies: 31 players this time. They vary the starting stacks and blinds each week. This time we start quite deep with 150 BB. My first table has some VERY loose players who will call almost any pre-flop raise. I get a number of good starting hands, raise 3x the blind, and get called by virtually the whole table. For example: I raise with AQ, hit an Ace on the flop, and my big bets are called to the river by a player with J2s ! Of course he hits a flush on the river. Later, I knock him out when I get sick of my raises being called and limp in with JJ, only to hit a set on the flop. He calls my river all-in with middle pair. Haha. I do OK for a while but eventually get worn down and finish 13th.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to play against such sticky players. Should I push my pre-flop raises higher to try and isolate one or two callers, even if it means committing a significant number of precious chips to just one hand? Or should I just limp in and hope my hand improves enough to beat all the other callers and take out a huge pot? I have to decide how I'm going to approach this style of game in future. Now I've really got Friday on my mind.
