I recently rented and rewatched the movie Rounders. For those of you who don't know, Rounders is a great poker movie, maybe even one of the best made on the game. It features Matt Damon as a good card player with the ability to read what his opponents are holding. This got me thinking of some Daniel Negreanu videos I've seen on YouTube.
Daniel Negreanu, like Matt Damon's character in the movie, has the uncanny ability to predict his opponents pocket cards in Texas Hold'em. A tell when picked up will often give clues to the strength of an opponents hand. However, to be able to accurately foretell the exact hole cards as these two do is something else entirely. So how do they do it? Is it some kind of 6th sense as the commentators seem to claim, or is it through absolute observation and a knowledge of the game.
It certainly would be an excellent skill to have and would allow you to win many poker tournaments. However online poker is quite different from live poker games, as the person is not there to observe and pick tells from. Tells are only in the form of betting strategies, and time taken to bet. In addition to knowledge of their game play.
Check the Vids Below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv2C_m0D-gY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO8k47_lP0M
That first one is my favorite poker clip of all time. They're playing 7cs, which is my game. Damon does a great job of deducing the hands and it is very realistic if you know how to play stud and understand the thinking that goes into reading hands. What is also cool is the fact that he makes his bets with 0 regard to what he holds himself. He's making the betting decision based on what the other players hold.
Now... this wouldn't work in the low limits vs. imbeciles. The guy with 2 pair would never fold! Ahh well... 10/20, this could happen though. Of course, at 10/20, you'll rarely have that many people seeing the river!
FYI - the big difference in these two videos is the game being played. Negreanu's ability to read people in holdem is much more amazing, IMO. But then again.. I'm a stud player, so reading stud hands is something that comes a lot easier to me now. I'm still a holdem noob.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Lightning Fast Update
I need to sleep. This'll be short and sweet.
1. I'm trying to get to the platinum level in the Absolute Poker FAME program this month. It requires 2500 fame points. I'm at 2475, so should close that out during my next session. I generally only play about 40 hours a month, but this month it'll be well over 100 hours.
2. You'd think with all the extra hours I'm putting in, it would mean a big boost to the roll. Wrong. After bumping up to about $1100 and then dropping a bit, I've been treading water at about $800. I'm probably playing a bit fatigued with a newborn and doubling the amount I usually play. But I really feel it's just variance. Looking at my PT stats from today's session where I dropped about $100, I lost with AA, KK, QQ about 75% of the time. That's not normal. The problem was not catching that 2nd pair. I lost count of the times my split aces would go down to 88 66 or some such garbage. Frustrating.
3. After I get to the 2500 points, I may take a week off. I just wanted to do it to see how much of a pain it would be. Proves quite the pain at 1/2 and 2/4 stud. If there was a regular 5/10 game, it would be a cinch. The 5/10 7cs level would be perfect for FAME points. Rarely do you see a "good" 5/10 game going though. 2/4 does decent, but the games grow/die/grow/die all day. 1/2 is really the only constant.
4. Surprisingly, I've been able to work and play, even with the newborn. He's not got any of the issues that Dylan had that kept us both up practically every night 2 years ago. Muchas gracias Dios!
So that's about it. As testament to a warped month, my PT stats show me earning a big 1.27 BB's per 100 hands. Meanwhile, I'm minus $6 bucks for the month. Funky eh? Really crappy albeit short 5/10 session a couple nights ago is the main reason for that. My earnings this month have been bonus and rakeback. Blah. Here's hoping for a stellar final week of July (if I play much at all at the end of the month!)
1. I'm trying to get to the platinum level in the Absolute Poker FAME program this month. It requires 2500 fame points. I'm at 2475, so should close that out during my next session. I generally only play about 40 hours a month, but this month it'll be well over 100 hours.
2. You'd think with all the extra hours I'm putting in, it would mean a big boost to the roll. Wrong. After bumping up to about $1100 and then dropping a bit, I've been treading water at about $800. I'm probably playing a bit fatigued with a newborn and doubling the amount I usually play. But I really feel it's just variance. Looking at my PT stats from today's session where I dropped about $100, I lost with AA, KK, QQ about 75% of the time. That's not normal. The problem was not catching that 2nd pair. I lost count of the times my split aces would go down to 88 66 or some such garbage. Frustrating.
3. After I get to the 2500 points, I may take a week off. I just wanted to do it to see how much of a pain it would be. Proves quite the pain at 1/2 and 2/4 stud. If there was a regular 5/10 game, it would be a cinch. The 5/10 7cs level would be perfect for FAME points. Rarely do you see a "good" 5/10 game going though. 2/4 does decent, but the games grow/die/grow/die all day. 1/2 is really the only constant.
4. Surprisingly, I've been able to work and play, even with the newborn. He's not got any of the issues that Dylan had that kept us both up practically every night 2 years ago. Muchas gracias Dios!
So that's about it. As testament to a warped month, my PT stats show me earning a big 1.27 BB's per 100 hands. Meanwhile, I'm minus $6 bucks for the month. Funky eh? Really crappy albeit short 5/10 session a couple nights ago is the main reason for that. My earnings this month have been bonus and rakeback. Blah. Here's hoping for a stellar final week of July (if I play much at all at the end of the month!)
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
New Arrival!
Zachary was born at around noon today (7/7/08). 6 lbs 14 oz. Perfectly healthy, 10 fingers, 10 toes, etc. Mom is healthy too, so we're counting our blessings today. :)
Speaking of blessings, I'm coming home in the late evenings to get Dylan to sleep (he's our 2 yr old). He's watching Zoboomafoo, and I just finished a very good session of 1/2 and 2/4 stud. Over $200 profit. Played 3 tables and saw profit at all three. That's nice!
Bankroll counting bonus is back to over $1000 after tonight. I haven't got my June rakeback in yet either, so that'll bump it a bit more.
Sooooo...anyone up for a friendly wager on how long before another "gotta have it" expense pops up?
Man, Dylan is on a good poker schedule. Goes to sleep around 3 a.m., sleeps till noon. He gets his 9-10 hours of sleep daily, so I don't suppose it's a problem. It'll be interesting working in a 2nd little munchkin. He's laying his head down and reaching for my ear now though. For whatever reason, he loves to rub an ear lobe while going to sleep. We have some 3d ultrasound pics of him in the womb, and he always had both hands up on his ears, so it makes me think it's a comfort habit of sorts that started before he was even born.
Linus has his blanket. Dylan has daddy's ear lobe. We need to switch things around here.
Time for bed. Thank God for modern medicine, baby boys, and poker donks. They've made 7/7/08 quite a nice day.
Speaking of blessings, I'm coming home in the late evenings to get Dylan to sleep (he's our 2 yr old). He's watching Zoboomafoo, and I just finished a very good session of 1/2 and 2/4 stud. Over $200 profit. Played 3 tables and saw profit at all three. That's nice!
Bankroll counting bonus is back to over $1000 after tonight. I haven't got my June rakeback in yet either, so that'll bump it a bit more.
Sooooo...anyone up for a friendly wager on how long before another "gotta have it" expense pops up?
Man, Dylan is on a good poker schedule. Goes to sleep around 3 a.m., sleeps till noon. He gets his 9-10 hours of sleep daily, so I don't suppose it's a problem. It'll be interesting working in a 2nd little munchkin. He's laying his head down and reaching for my ear now though. For whatever reason, he loves to rub an ear lobe while going to sleep. We have some 3d ultrasound pics of him in the womb, and he always had both hands up on his ears, so it makes me think it's a comfort habit of sorts that started before he was even born.
Linus has his blanket. Dylan has daddy's ear lobe. We need to switch things around here.
Time for bed. Thank God for modern medicine, baby boys, and poker donks. They've made 7/7/08 quite a nice day.
Friday, July 04, 2008
WSOP 2008 - Pro's Revenge? + Bankroll Update.
Bankroll is ~850 again, after withdrawing it down to under $400. Another good start to a new month. I'm liking the new FAME program at Absolute Poker. At the 7cs tables, I get points very frequently, so credits pile up quick. Still clearing bonus about the same rate, but the overall credits are good, and if I play as much as I think I can I'll probably be able to score a $100 gas card every month courtesy of AP's loyalty store.
Regarding World Series of Poker '08, I read that up to the main event, 7 out of 10 events were won by pro players. Wow. Big change from the past few years. Population at the WSOP is still very strong, but with a lot more entries from Europe I think.
I think it'll make for better TV. I had really lost interest in watching WSOP over the past couple of years, in favor of shows like Poker After Dark and High Stakes on GSN. One of the biggest draws to televised poker, IMO is the player personalities. It's like reality TV. You get hooked watching a 'character' either because you like them or hate them. Watching a bunch of no names at the poker table is interesting for some of us, but for most, watching card playing for card playing's sake is rather boring. Gotta have that storyline.
Kudos to the pros for lighting up the tables this year, and here's to some interesting WSOP on ESPN this year. Oh, and while I understand all the collusion concerns and stuff with the delayed final table, I do think it will be great for the entertainment aspect. It'll turn it more into a superbowl of poker. I think by the time the main event coverage rolled around in the past couple of years, everyone was about sick of watching from all the other events.
Regarding World Series of Poker '08, I read that up to the main event, 7 out of 10 events were won by pro players. Wow. Big change from the past few years. Population at the WSOP is still very strong, but with a lot more entries from Europe I think.
I think it'll make for better TV. I had really lost interest in watching WSOP over the past couple of years, in favor of shows like Poker After Dark and High Stakes on GSN. One of the biggest draws to televised poker, IMO is the player personalities. It's like reality TV. You get hooked watching a 'character' either because you like them or hate them. Watching a bunch of no names at the poker table is interesting for some of us, but for most, watching card playing for card playing's sake is rather boring. Gotta have that storyline.
Kudos to the pros for lighting up the tables this year, and here's to some interesting WSOP on ESPN this year. Oh, and while I understand all the collusion concerns and stuff with the delayed final table, I do think it will be great for the entertainment aspect. It'll turn it more into a superbowl of poker. I think by the time the main event coverage rolled around in the past couple of years, everyone was about sick of watching from all the other events.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
New Rakeback Deals
Busy as bees at Poker-strategy.org . We have added several new rakeback deals that are worth mentioning here. I'll just give a quick list and benefits. If you are playing poker without rakeback, and you play any volume at all, you'd be surprised what you are missing out on. Good luck to folks who give these rakeback offers a shot!
Poker4Ever Rakeback is one of the best we've gotten a long time. Rakeback payments are weekly, paid every Monday. The rakeback rate is an above average 35%. Bonuses are not deducted from gross rake totals. Stats are available for P4E rakeback players right there in the poker room's software.
Habana Poker Rakeback is a new addition as well. Habana is one of our BOSS Rakeback deals (being on the Boss network). The most famous room on this network is Paradise Poker, so if you have a Paradise account without rakeback, you can sign up at Habana and play the same tables, and get 30% rakeback. Habana pays the rakeback totals directly to your player account on the 2nd of each month. Definitely another solid deal for rakeback hunters.
Poker4Ever is open to USA players!
Habana Poker is not open to USA players.
Poker4Ever Rakeback is one of the best we've gotten a long time. Rakeback payments are weekly, paid every Monday. The rakeback rate is an above average 35%. Bonuses are not deducted from gross rake totals. Stats are available for P4E rakeback players right there in the poker room's software.
Habana Poker Rakeback is a new addition as well. Habana is one of our BOSS Rakeback deals (being on the Boss network). The most famous room on this network is Paradise Poker, so if you have a Paradise account without rakeback, you can sign up at Habana and play the same tables, and get 30% rakeback. Habana pays the rakeback totals directly to your player account on the 2nd of each month. Definitely another solid deal for rakeback hunters.
Poker4Ever is open to USA players!
Habana Poker is not open to USA players.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
7cs heads up - Importance of Patterns
There is no playbook for heads up poker, no matter what game. I've written some basic strategy on 7 card stud heads up poker, but there is so much more to it than that article, even though it is a long one and IMO has some good info for low limit heads up play.
Tonight I ran across a situation that I wanted to share because I think it really delves into how a heads up player needs to think, in order to see success.
I was playing greenmeans at the 1/2 7cs HU tables. He really didn't show a lot of weaknesses. He completed my bringin with Ace and King doorcards (in truth, he probably completed with any ace or king, even hidden). He bet his scary boards. He didn't get way out of line with weak hands. He didn't fold to a single bet on the river when the pot was large (not really much point in trying to bluff a missed draw against him). Blah blah blah... you get the picture.
After ~250 hands, I was +26.05 in less than an hour against him. That's a 5.2 BB/100 hands clip. I know, short term luck, yada yada, but I really think I would have cleaned him out had we played longer. The reason is that I picked up on a couple of exploitable patterns.
His first pattern was varying his forced bringin based on his hand strength. I'm not going to get into why this is generally a bad idea heads up. Just trust me... it is.
The most interesting pattern I found is a little deeper. As I noted earlier, he always completed with an ace or king doorcard. Obviously, he doesn't always have aces or kings. Early on, when I was dealt a small pair and he completed my bringin with an ace or king, I would limp raise him. If he just had the ace or king high, he would call. Then he'd call my bet on 4th and fold on 5th.
Ok....pretty boring right? But look how it can be exploited!!! Once I had established this as a pattern I could rely on, I could win 3 small bets almost EVERY time he was dealt an ace or king doorcard. It didn't matter if I had 444 or 462 rainbow. My 3 cards didn't matter. Here were the possibilities:
I bringin the half bet, he completes with an ace or king doorcard, I raise:
1. If he has nothing, he calls the raise (2 bets on 3rd). He calls 4th hoping to get some kind of value by 5th (another small bet). He folds on 5th with ace or king high. I win 3 small bets, regardless of my own holding.
2. He really has aces or kings and 3 bets. I fold. I lose 2 bets.
3. He calls my raise with ace or king high, then calls on 4th and 5th (meaning he's either picked up a draw, another pair, etc.) and I slow down and he wins showdown.
4. He calls my raise with ace or king high, then calls on 4th and 5th (again, meaning he has something, but not quite aces or kings), but I draw well myself and I win at showdown.
For simplicity sake, let's just say #3 and #4 will be roughly equal, that leaves us with figuring out the value of my losing 2 bets when he has the aces or kings he is representing vs. my winning 3 bets when he does not.
The odds against being dealt exactly AA or exactly KK are roughly 76:1 (according to my crappy math skills). That means if I did this EVERY time and he followed the same pattern every time, then I would win 76 x 3 bets that he had nothing for every 1 x 2 bets that I lost when he 3bet with real aces or kings.
You don't have to be a math geek to see the value there.
Gold mine right? Well...not really. This gent, as I noted was pretty decent. If a player is solid and you have to dig this deep to find exploitable patterns, you might be better off waiting on someone who will make more mistakes. I suspect that it wouldn't take many of these scenarios to occur before he would change up how he was playing to compensate. (What if he notices that I fold immediately when he 3 bets with his aces or kings? Now he can 3 bet even if all he has is ace or king high, I fold and now he's taking advantage of my pattern!)
What's my point? The key to heads up poker is identifying your opponents patterns. IMO, this goes for every poker game, not just 7c stud. Once you have established a pattern, it's just a matter of exploiting it and rake in the chips.
How about your own patterns? Pay attention to your own play, and try to avoid pattern ruts that you fall into. Better yet, establish an obvious pattern, when he picks up on it, exploit that. Here's an example. I complete with a lot of hands heads up. If I have nothing and he calls my completed bet on 3rd, I'll check and fold 4th. The next time I'm actually dealt my pair, say, JxJ, I'll complete his bringin, check 4th and then check raise him when he bets. Or maybe I'll wait 'till 5th for the check raise. Either way, it wins me some extra bets and confuses him as he can no longer count on the pattern he thought he'd picked up.
See how it works? Play fast and aggressive. Pick up their patterns. Setup false patterns/traps. Get 'em confused, and then tilted. Once they're tilted, they might as well mail you a check for their remaining balance.
Tonight I ran across a situation that I wanted to share because I think it really delves into how a heads up player needs to think, in order to see success.
I was playing greenmeans at the 1/2 7cs HU tables. He really didn't show a lot of weaknesses. He completed my bringin with Ace and King doorcards (in truth, he probably completed with any ace or king, even hidden). He bet his scary boards. He didn't get way out of line with weak hands. He didn't fold to a single bet on the river when the pot was large (not really much point in trying to bluff a missed draw against him). Blah blah blah... you get the picture.
After ~250 hands, I was +26.05 in less than an hour against him. That's a 5.2 BB/100 hands clip. I know, short term luck, yada yada, but I really think I would have cleaned him out had we played longer. The reason is that I picked up on a couple of exploitable patterns.
His first pattern was varying his forced bringin based on his hand strength. I'm not going to get into why this is generally a bad idea heads up. Just trust me... it is.
The most interesting pattern I found is a little deeper. As I noted earlier, he always completed with an ace or king doorcard. Obviously, he doesn't always have aces or kings. Early on, when I was dealt a small pair and he completed my bringin with an ace or king, I would limp raise him. If he just had the ace or king high, he would call. Then he'd call my bet on 4th and fold on 5th.
Ok....pretty boring right? But look how it can be exploited!!! Once I had established this as a pattern I could rely on, I could win 3 small bets almost EVERY time he was dealt an ace or king doorcard. It didn't matter if I had 444 or 462 rainbow. My 3 cards didn't matter. Here were the possibilities:
I bringin the half bet, he completes with an ace or king doorcard, I raise:
1. If he has nothing, he calls the raise (2 bets on 3rd). He calls 4th hoping to get some kind of value by 5th (another small bet). He folds on 5th with ace or king high. I win 3 small bets, regardless of my own holding.
2. He really has aces or kings and 3 bets. I fold. I lose 2 bets.
3. He calls my raise with ace or king high, then calls on 4th and 5th (meaning he's either picked up a draw, another pair, etc.) and I slow down and he wins showdown.
4. He calls my raise with ace or king high, then calls on 4th and 5th (again, meaning he has something, but not quite aces or kings), but I draw well myself and I win at showdown.
For simplicity sake, let's just say #3 and #4 will be roughly equal, that leaves us with figuring out the value of my losing 2 bets when he has the aces or kings he is representing vs. my winning 3 bets when he does not.
The odds against being dealt exactly AA or exactly KK are roughly 76:1 (according to my crappy math skills). That means if I did this EVERY time and he followed the same pattern every time, then I would win 76 x 3 bets that he had nothing for every 1 x 2 bets that I lost when he 3bet with real aces or kings.
You don't have to be a math geek to see the value there.
Gold mine right? Well...not really. This gent, as I noted was pretty decent. If a player is solid and you have to dig this deep to find exploitable patterns, you might be better off waiting on someone who will make more mistakes. I suspect that it wouldn't take many of these scenarios to occur before he would change up how he was playing to compensate. (What if he notices that I fold immediately when he 3 bets with his aces or kings? Now he can 3 bet even if all he has is ace or king high, I fold and now he's taking advantage of my pattern!)
What's my point? The key to heads up poker is identifying your opponents patterns. IMO, this goes for every poker game, not just 7c stud. Once you have established a pattern, it's just a matter of exploiting it and rake in the chips.
How about your own patterns? Pay attention to your own play, and try to avoid pattern ruts that you fall into. Better yet, establish an obvious pattern, when he picks up on it, exploit that. Here's an example. I complete with a lot of hands heads up. If I have nothing and he calls my completed bet on 3rd, I'll check and fold 4th. The next time I'm actually dealt my pair, say, JxJ, I'll complete his bringin, check 4th and then check raise him when he bets. Or maybe I'll wait 'till 5th for the check raise. Either way, it wins me some extra bets and confuses him as he can no longer count on the pattern he thought he'd picked up.
See how it works? Play fast and aggressive. Pick up their patterns. Setup false patterns/traps. Get 'em confused, and then tilted. Once they're tilted, they might as well mail you a check for their remaining balance.
Friday, June 20, 2008
CD Poker & TonyG
Just a heads up. We've added a couple of new sites to our bonus code list recently. I like to mention these when we get a great deal. These are bonus codes that carry extra value, well over the default bonus deals you get if you just go to the poker site.
The first is our Tony G Poker Coupon Bonus Code. The bonus code is TONYCASH and it gives you a 150% up to $400 bonus. That's more bonus dollars than you'll get if you go straight to TonyG. On top of that, you will also get a $50 instant bonus. So if you deposited $300, you'd get the max $400 pending bonus plus another $50 in your account that you can play with immediately. Instant + Pending bonus deals are... very rare.
The 2nd bonus we've added is our CD Poker Coupon Code Bonus. The bonus code for this one is TOPBONUS. You get 150% up to $600 matching deposit bonus, which is the highest bonus on the iPoker network to my knowledge. You will also get free entry into the monthly $10,000 VIP freeroll. Very good value on this bonus code as well.
Both of these sites are on the iPoker network. There are no rules against clearing them both. If you're bonus hunting, you can hit them both. Rooms on the iPoker network do not accept USA players unfortunately.
Once our legal situation is clarified over here, I'll have a lot of bonus clearing to do myself!
The first is our Tony G Poker Coupon Bonus Code. The bonus code is TONYCASH and it gives you a 150% up to $400 bonus. That's more bonus dollars than you'll get if you go straight to TonyG. On top of that, you will also get a $50 instant bonus. So if you deposited $300, you'd get the max $400 pending bonus plus another $50 in your account that you can play with immediately. Instant + Pending bonus deals are... very rare.
The 2nd bonus we've added is our CD Poker Coupon Code Bonus. The bonus code for this one is TOPBONUS. You get 150% up to $600 matching deposit bonus, which is the highest bonus on the iPoker network to my knowledge. You will also get free entry into the monthly $10,000 VIP freeroll. Very good value on this bonus code as well.
Both of these sites are on the iPoker network. There are no rules against clearing them both. If you're bonus hunting, you can hit them both. Rooms on the iPoker network do not accept USA players unfortunately.
Once our legal situation is clarified over here, I'll have a lot of bonus clearing to do myself!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Mikey and Sheikhan exchange some words...
I know these guys crack on each other a lot on High Stakes Poker (GSN) and Poker After Dark, and sometimes it seems like good natured ribbing. I think this video shows their relationship is probably any thing but good natured.
For your viewing pleasure:
For your viewing pleasure:
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The Lord giveth. The wife taketh away.
That's a bit unfair for the title. We've got baby boy #2 due July 7th, and we're working furiously to get everything ready and it's costing us some extra $$. We're going to be able to save about $4k if we pay up front (we're self pay), so it's a worthy cause.
Bottom line is, I pulled $1025 from the roll. Total after AP rakebacks hit is around $470. *sigh*.
Ahh well... let's start building again. It makes the 2k by the end of the year more of a challenge. Maybe I should just say "2k profit" and count what I bring home rather than have a set goal to reach.
Annoys me a bit to keep robbing the bankroll. I'd really like to get over to FTP 3/6 stud since the game is pretty loose there. Ideally I'd like to take at least $1000 over there to play it comfortably, and at the same time leave $600 or so at Absolute since the 1/2 game is the only regular game with 2/4 in the mix every now and then and a rare 3/6.
Better hush and start playing. Diapers to buy, bankroll to build.
Bottom line is, I pulled $1025 from the roll. Total after AP rakebacks hit is around $470. *sigh*.
Ahh well... let's start building again. It makes the 2k by the end of the year more of a challenge. Maybe I should just say "2k profit" and count what I bring home rather than have a set goal to reach.
Annoys me a bit to keep robbing the bankroll. I'd really like to get over to FTP 3/6 stud since the game is pretty loose there. Ideally I'd like to take at least $1000 over there to play it comfortably, and at the same time leave $600 or so at Absolute since the 1/2 game is the only regular game with 2/4 in the mix every now and then and a rare 3/6.
Better hush and start playing. Diapers to buy, bankroll to build.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
MSOP Event #14 - Out in 122nd place.
*pukes*
Perpetual short stack. Dealt good cards, ran into better (KK vs. AA hidden, JJ vs. AA, etc). Still had close to 3k chips at the 250/500 level, which ain't much, but FTP's tourney structure sucks compared to Star's WCOOP. Everyone was short stacked at that level. The top stack at our table had 12k. That's like taking $24 bucks to a .50/$1 table...
At any rate, last hand I had 3k chips w/ 99 and a AQxx 4 flush on 5th, and got all the chips in vs a no pair, king high heart flush. He flushed, I didn't.
The buyin was $109, and I was playing a ring game at Absolute and finished +114 there, so I suppose you could say I'm break even for the 2 hours play.
Looking forward to WCOOP! I thought the FTP tourney would be interesting since it's a super stack (5k chips to start), but the ante's are always 20%+ of the small bet and a tiny forced bring in bet. It's like FTP's low limit games (1/2 and 2/4). The high ante, low bringin rewards folks who play any 3 because the initial pot is huge compared to the bringin you have to call. Routinely 4 and 5 guys to 4th street. That's wonderful if your big pairs hold up and your draws hit. Unfortunately that didn't happen for me.
I'm not saying I wouldn't play the 7cs events at Full Tilt again. I feel like I've got a better than average shot at cashing in them. But the tourney setup certainly makes them more of a crapshoot than say, the WCOOP which features double stack (3k chips) and very slowly increasing limits/antes.
Suggestion to any tourney directors who are reading (estimating zero) - bigger stacks, slower limits, 10% ante compared to the small bet. It'll make for a little bit longer of an event, but your skilled players (the ones who are most likely to drop $100+ on a buyin)will enjoy themselves much more, since it will truly be a skill based event and increase the likelihood that they play future 7cs events.
I don't mean this to be a cry post. Heck, I feel fine, even going out 122/159. I didn't make any serious mistakes when I look at the few hands that I took to showdown. I played as well as I could.
Maybe I shoulda just called for a new dealer?
Time for some pizza. :)
Perpetual short stack. Dealt good cards, ran into better (KK vs. AA hidden, JJ vs. AA, etc). Still had close to 3k chips at the 250/500 level, which ain't much, but FTP's tourney structure sucks compared to Star's WCOOP. Everyone was short stacked at that level. The top stack at our table had 12k. That's like taking $24 bucks to a .50/$1 table...
At any rate, last hand I had 3k chips w/ 99 and a AQxx 4 flush on 5th, and got all the chips in vs a no pair, king high heart flush. He flushed, I didn't.
The buyin was $109, and I was playing a ring game at Absolute and finished +114 there, so I suppose you could say I'm break even for the 2 hours play.
Looking forward to WCOOP! I thought the FTP tourney would be interesting since it's a super stack (5k chips to start), but the ante's are always 20%+ of the small bet and a tiny forced bring in bet. It's like FTP's low limit games (1/2 and 2/4). The high ante, low bringin rewards folks who play any 3 because the initial pot is huge compared to the bringin you have to call. Routinely 4 and 5 guys to 4th street. That's wonderful if your big pairs hold up and your draws hit. Unfortunately that didn't happen for me.
I'm not saying I wouldn't play the 7cs events at Full Tilt again. I feel like I've got a better than average shot at cashing in them. But the tourney setup certainly makes them more of a crapshoot than say, the WCOOP which features double stack (3k chips) and very slowly increasing limits/antes.
Suggestion to any tourney directors who are reading (estimating zero) - bigger stacks, slower limits, 10% ante compared to the small bet. It'll make for a little bit longer of an event, but your skilled players (the ones who are most likely to drop $100+ on a buyin)will enjoy themselves much more, since it will truly be a skill based event and increase the likelihood that they play future 7cs events.
I don't mean this to be a cry post. Heck, I feel fine, even going out 122/159. I didn't make any serious mistakes when I look at the few hands that I took to showdown. I played as well as I could.
Maybe I shoulda just called for a new dealer?
Time for some pizza. :)
Friday, June 06, 2008
Nice 3/6 session...
Bankroll at $1450+ after a good couple of days, topped off by a great 2/4 session where ATL404 donated a good $140 or so to Dylan's college fund. (+200 for the session)
My BB/100 over 3.0 - Obviously on a good run. :)
+543 in May, in ring game play alone (not counting rakeback or bonus).
+459 in June, and we're not even through the first week. Here again, not counting rakeback or bonus.
If I keep getting to play 40 hours a month or so, the 2k should be a breeze, with proper bankroll management, etc etc... I doubt seriously I'll go above 3/6. The 3/6 game at Full Tilt is a pretty good one with a normal ante. The 5/10 at Stars can be juicy too, but with no rakeback, I'm probably going to just stick with FTP / AP.
Still no word back from AP/UB on propping. :( - I've been out of bonus for 2 weeks, and 100% rakeback or so woulda been nice as many 1/2, 2/4 and 3/6 tables as I've started.
Time for a milkshake, some PAD and bedtime.
My BB/100 over 3.0 - Obviously on a good run. :)
+543 in May, in ring game play alone (not counting rakeback or bonus).
+459 in June, and we're not even through the first week. Here again, not counting rakeback or bonus.
If I keep getting to play 40 hours a month or so, the 2k should be a breeze, with proper bankroll management, etc etc... I doubt seriously I'll go above 3/6. The 3/6 game at Full Tilt is a pretty good one with a normal ante. The 5/10 at Stars can be juicy too, but with no rakeback, I'm probably going to just stick with FTP / AP.
Still no word back from AP/UB on propping. :( - I've been out of bonus for 2 weeks, and 100% rakeback or so woulda been nice as many 1/2, 2/4 and 3/6 tables as I've started.
Time for a milkshake, some PAD and bedtime.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Bankroll Update
$1040 after tonight. Had it to $1080 last night after a great shorthanded session against my favorite HU 7 card stud opponent on Absolute Poker - Rolled. Poor guy... sometimes I just want to say "mistake #1 - always slow playing aces. Mistake #2 - ..." so on and so forth.
In all fairness, he's not that bad. Though the guy has a fish symbol on my PokerTracker, he's only slightly too loose and he's only slightly too passive. His two main mistakes are "can't let go of a pair" and tilt. Once he's tilted, just sit and wait for him to drop his bankroll in your lap.
Seriously, if he'd be a little more aggressive on 3rd (stop slow playing big pairs!), dump hands that he knows he's going steep uphill on, and step away from the table when he's been sucked out on a time or two, he'd be a solid player.
My luck, he'll google his AP nickname or TIGGERTHECAT and find this advice and spank me next session. :)
Do you ever find it hard to not help someone out who you are just beating into the ground or you can tell they're frustrated? I guess it's just the history teacher in me. It goes against common poker sense for sure.
So, halfway to the $2000 I was hoping to finish the year with so I could crank up Dylan's college fund. I'm happy. 7cs games at AP have been sparse this year with the main staple being 1/2, with a game at 2/4 and 3/6 every now and then.
I lost my hand histories when I reformatted my PC a couple months ago. My current poker tracker stats show +2.5 big bets per 100 hands, after ~10,000 hands (I know..small sample size, but bear with me). This is at 1/2 through 3/6. When I set it to just heads up, I'm roughly +6 big bets per 100 hands. I'm +5 BB/100 when I combine HU with 3 handed stats.
I need to start propping. :) I've emailed AP about it since my own account doesn't even get rakeback. We'll see what kind of reply we get.
In all fairness, he's not that bad. Though the guy has a fish symbol on my PokerTracker, he's only slightly too loose and he's only slightly too passive. His two main mistakes are "can't let go of a pair" and tilt. Once he's tilted, just sit and wait for him to drop his bankroll in your lap.
Seriously, if he'd be a little more aggressive on 3rd (stop slow playing big pairs!), dump hands that he knows he's going steep uphill on, and step away from the table when he's been sucked out on a time or two, he'd be a solid player.
My luck, he'll google his AP nickname or TIGGERTHECAT and find this advice and spank me next session. :)
Do you ever find it hard to not help someone out who you are just beating into the ground or you can tell they're frustrated? I guess it's just the history teacher in me. It goes against common poker sense for sure.
So, halfway to the $2000 I was hoping to finish the year with so I could crank up Dylan's college fund. I'm happy. 7cs games at AP have been sparse this year with the main staple being 1/2, with a game at 2/4 and 3/6 every now and then.
I lost my hand histories when I reformatted my PC a couple months ago. My current poker tracker stats show +2.5 big bets per 100 hands, after ~10,000 hands (I know..small sample size, but bear with me). This is at 1/2 through 3/6. When I set it to just heads up, I'm roughly +6 big bets per 100 hands. I'm +5 BB/100 when I combine HU with 3 handed stats.
I need to start propping. :) I've emailed AP about it since my own account doesn't even get rakeback. We'll see what kind of reply we get.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
TiggertheCat at Absolute Poker AP
Just googled for this account and it didn't pull up anywhere. It's my wife's account at Absolute Poker. She smacks some folks down heads up in 7 card stud.
I'm proud to have a poker playing wife, that not only enjoys the game but wins at it!
If she's taken your money, feel free to raise H E double toothpicks in our poker strategy forum.
Current bankroll from 7cs at Absolute = $900+
I'm proud to have a poker playing wife, that not only enjoys the game but wins at it!
If she's taken your money, feel free to raise H E double toothpicks in our poker strategy forum.
Current bankroll from 7cs at Absolute = $900+
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Rounders Buzz
I recently came across a new site that is interesting both for poker bloggers and interested readers, RoundersBuzz.com. It is a social voting website just for poker content. If you run a poker portal and are looking to drive traffic to your site, you can submit poker articles, stories or news at RoundersBuzz. If you are a poker player looking to improve your game, you can quickly sift through the best poker content voted up to the main page by the community at Rounders Buzz.
Besides the main page, there are five Category pages for specific stories. The most popular categories are the two strategy categories; Tournament Strategy and Ring Game Strategy. They also have categories on General Poker, Online Poker Tools and Poker News.
Happy reading!
Besides the main page, there are five Category pages for specific stories. The most popular categories are the two strategy categories; Tournament Strategy and Ring Game Strategy. They also have categories on General Poker, Online Poker Tools and Poker News.
Happy reading!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Internet Isolation - Proven!
Lot of studies have been done on how the evil internet tubes isolate and insulate us from the 'real world' and after a conversation with one of our mods at Poker-Strategy.Org, I am a believah!
The conversation in mIRC chat was about my sending TrulyRand0m some shirts and hats from our PSORG gear stash. I asked him for his address, and his response?
<TR-ChuddsCheerleader> well i'm sending you an email in about 30 seconds once i find my address on facebook...
I alternated between chuckles and outright belly jiggling for the next 20 minutes. It was late...odd things are funny when it's late.
In TR's defense, he just moved recently. Heh...let me check my facebook for my real life address. Long ago, people would have to dig through their wallet or purse to give you their email address. How quickly things change!
Oh, and poker - my Absolute bankroll is at ~600. It was down to ~150 there for a bit, so I'm pretty happy to have not busted, playing 1/2 through 3/6 with just $150 bucks.
The conversation in mIRC chat was about my sending TrulyRand0m some shirts and hats from our PSORG gear stash. I asked him for his address, and his response?
<TR-ChuddsCheerleader> well i'm sending you an email in about 30 seconds once i find my address on facebook...
I alternated between chuckles and outright belly jiggling for the next 20 minutes. It was late...odd things are funny when it's late.
In TR's defense, he just moved recently. Heh...let me check my facebook for my real life address. Long ago, people would have to dig through their wallet or purse to give you their email address. How quickly things change!
Oh, and poker - my Absolute bankroll is at ~600. It was down to ~150 there for a bit, so I'm pretty happy to have not busted, playing 1/2 through 3/6 with just $150 bucks.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Ahh! SNG Nirvana = FTP
I switched over to Full Tilt to play some SNG's. It's a big difference compared to the rock garden at AP. I've only got a 2 SNG test here, so it's obviously not conclusive, but I've played two 9-seat SNG's at the $10 + $1 level, and they do remind me a lot of the juicy SNG's that I used to see at Party and Royal Vegas.
I've played two, and finished #2 out of 9 both times. (I need to work on my heads up play!). It's not my results that are really making me think FTP is a better place for SNG's but rather how many players are gone after the first few levels. At AP, it wasn't uncommon for there to still be 4 or 5 players left when the blinds got up to 'crap shoot' level. The last SNG I played at FTP, the blinds hadn't even hit 100/200 yet and it was heads up between me and the eventual winner.
NLHE SNG's aren't exactly my forte, but I do expect to see positive return on investment. So far I am, but it seems like it'd be much easier and more profitable at Full Tilt.
More players = more fish? I think that is generally true.
I've played two, and finished #2 out of 9 both times. (I need to work on my heads up play!). It's not my results that are really making me think FTP is a better place for SNG's but rather how many players are gone after the first few levels. At AP, it wasn't uncommon for there to still be 4 or 5 players left when the blinds got up to 'crap shoot' level. The last SNG I played at FTP, the blinds hadn't even hit 100/200 yet and it was heads up between me and the eventual winner.
NLHE SNG's aren't exactly my forte, but I do expect to see positive return on investment. So far I am, but it seems like it'd be much easier and more profitable at Full Tilt.
More players = more fish? I think that is generally true.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Being a USA citizen is costing me money!
Being a poker player, I don't usually pay much attention to casino games or casino bonuses. However, I couldn't help but notice the value of an article that one of our PSORG mods wrote for another of our sites.
The article details how to take an initial deposit of $100 and take it to $1500+ in your bankroll by playing perfect blackjack that reduces the house edge to near 0, while clearing generous deposit bonuses.
Here's a link to the article if you are interested: Casino Bonus Guide
Again, it will only work for non-USA citizens. This is a great guide for anyone. Poker players looking to build a bankroll or just take a month or so to pad your existing bankroll. Casino bonus whores will jump on this as well. ;]
The article details how to take an initial deposit of $100 and take it to $1500+ in your bankroll by playing perfect blackjack that reduces the house edge to near 0, while clearing generous deposit bonuses.
Here's a link to the article if you are interested: Casino Bonus Guide
Again, it will only work for non-USA citizens. This is a great guide for anyone. Poker players looking to build a bankroll or just take a month or so to pad your existing bankroll. Casino bonus whores will jump on this as well. ;]
Friday, April 25, 2008
Bankroll Update (April)
Looks like Dylan better get to crackin' on scholarship applications! Bankroll at ~400. No losses, just withdrawals. Every time I get it to $1k, there's always something to buy that we don't want to dip into our regular budget for.
Ah well. At least I've got 16 years before he graduations high school!
Absolute's 7cs population hasn't been wonderful lately. Generally just a 1/2 game going. Still easy enough to beat.
AP's NLHE sit n go's are pretty tight. Even the tiny $5 buyins seem to have some decent players. I miss Party Poker SNG's where 3 people were gone before the button made one lap around the table. :(
Ah well. At least I've got 16 years before he graduations high school!
Absolute's 7cs population hasn't been wonderful lately. Generally just a 1/2 game going. Still easy enough to beat.
AP's NLHE sit n go's are pretty tight. Even the tiny $5 buyins seem to have some decent players. I miss Party Poker SNG's where 3 people were gone before the button made one lap around the table. :(
Monday, March 03, 2008
Poker Resolutions Update
Can't believe it's been almost 2 months since my last post. Busy as a bee and sick with the flu when I'm not busy.
We got cable (have I already mentioned that?)... so wonderful!
I've made good progress on my resolutions so far I think. The cash games resolutions I've still yet to really get started on. Harrington on Cash Games came out very recently, so I'll be getting it from Amazon here shortly and that should kick start things a bit.
I have had no problems with tilt so far this year, mainly because I've been in a good run when I've had time to play. Even with some withdrawals, the bankroll is well over $1000. Getting 2k for a "Dylan college fund" looks like it'll be easily reachable provided I have more time to play and I don't hit a big skid.
I'm playing at AP and Full Tilt. I've been having really good success at the 3/6 and 2/4 tables at Tilt. Massive loose there compared to AP. AP's games have been a bit slow this year with not a lot of 2/4 or 3/6 tables when I was on. The 1/2 tables are good, but I'd much prefer to stay in the 2/4 - 3/6 range. I just don't get in enough hours to really make a 1/2 table pay much.
Freakin' SOCOM online is cutting into my poker time too. I'm not really addicted to it, but when I do sit down for a session of run and gun, snipe and move on Devils Road, I find that 4 or 5 hours is gone in what feels like seconds. Poker is better on our marriage too, since it's a money earning hobby and no doubt Leslie already has devious plans for the 'college fund'...
We'll see!
We got cable (have I already mentioned that?)... so wonderful!
I've made good progress on my resolutions so far I think. The cash games resolutions I've still yet to really get started on. Harrington on Cash Games came out very recently, so I'll be getting it from Amazon here shortly and that should kick start things a bit.
I have had no problems with tilt so far this year, mainly because I've been in a good run when I've had time to play. Even with some withdrawals, the bankroll is well over $1000. Getting 2k for a "Dylan college fund" looks like it'll be easily reachable provided I have more time to play and I don't hit a big skid.
I'm playing at AP and Full Tilt. I've been having really good success at the 3/6 and 2/4 tables at Tilt. Massive loose there compared to AP. AP's games have been a bit slow this year with not a lot of 2/4 or 3/6 tables when I was on. The 1/2 tables are good, but I'd much prefer to stay in the 2/4 - 3/6 range. I just don't get in enough hours to really make a 1/2 table pay much.
Freakin' SOCOM online is cutting into my poker time too. I'm not really addicted to it, but when I do sit down for a session of run and gun, snipe and move on Devils Road, I find that 4 or 5 hours is gone in what feels like seconds. Poker is better on our marriage too, since it's a money earning hobby and no doubt Leslie already has devious plans for the 'college fund'...
We'll see!
Monday, January 07, 2008
Poker Resolutions - 2008
I don't really have many 'real life' resolutions for the new year, except the usual be a better husband, father, etc. We've got #2 on the way, as Leslie is 13 weeks pregnant. So here's a few poker resolutions.
1. Learn small stakes NLHE cash games. I feel confident in 7cs ring and 7cs tourneys, and even NLHE SNG's and MTT's though I haven't played either of the last two in a long time. Cash games are very popular now with shows like High Stakes Poker still getting great ratings, and it seems to be where the fish are heading, so I figure it wouldn't hurt to become adequate at it.
I've already picked up a book on it, and have read it. I'll start applying that to the tables soon. NLHE cash games shouldn't be difficult, since I'm already a tight wad, and without increasing blinds pressure, you really just have to bait your hook, toss your line in and wait for the bite.
My only concern is I really don't have much of a roll. I didn't play much in 2007, and we nearly drained my roll for a vacation in May, and then again in November/December for Christmas spending. I don't depend on poker for a living, but I don't like the idea busting or depositing. In fact, I guess you could say I'm still playing on the $10 no deposit bonus from Royal Vegas, from way back in 2003. NLHE cash variance can be big, especially those crazy low blind games.
2. Do a better job against the tilt monster. I don't tilt often, but when I do, I tend to go LAG and donk off a couple of hundred before I've fed him enough.
3. Start Dylan a college fund or some type of savings account with poker earnings. Since I'll be spending some to learn NLHE cash, I don't plan on a fat amount for this. Besides, I play probably 10 hours a week at best. I think a $2000 goal would be noble. Besides, he's not even 19 months old yet, so I'm getting a good head start. ;]
Someone call Goodlatte and tell him to legalize online poker. I'm playing it for the good of the children!
1. Learn small stakes NLHE cash games. I feel confident in 7cs ring and 7cs tourneys, and even NLHE SNG's and MTT's though I haven't played either of the last two in a long time. Cash games are very popular now with shows like High Stakes Poker still getting great ratings, and it seems to be where the fish are heading, so I figure it wouldn't hurt to become adequate at it.
I've already picked up a book on it, and have read it. I'll start applying that to the tables soon. NLHE cash games shouldn't be difficult, since I'm already a tight wad, and without increasing blinds pressure, you really just have to bait your hook, toss your line in and wait for the bite.
My only concern is I really don't have much of a roll. I didn't play much in 2007, and we nearly drained my roll for a vacation in May, and then again in November/December for Christmas spending. I don't depend on poker for a living, but I don't like the idea busting or depositing. In fact, I guess you could say I'm still playing on the $10 no deposit bonus from Royal Vegas, from way back in 2003. NLHE cash variance can be big, especially those crazy low blind games.
2. Do a better job against the tilt monster. I don't tilt often, but when I do, I tend to go LAG and donk off a couple of hundred before I've fed him enough.
3. Start Dylan a college fund or some type of savings account with poker earnings. Since I'll be spending some to learn NLHE cash, I don't plan on a fat amount for this. Besides, I play probably 10 hours a week at best. I think a $2000 goal would be noble. Besides, he's not even 19 months old yet, so I'm getting a good head start. ;]
Someone call Goodlatte and tell him to legalize online poker. I'm playing it for the good of the children!
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