Buy-in was $30+3, 666 entrants; the whole thing took 7.5 hours and 1st place was $3,746.
______________________________________________________________________________

Hand #54 – Stack 3740, blinds 50/100
UTG I hold AsJd – and fold it. Something new-ish I’ve been doing more of lately. Since I’m UTG this should be at the very bottom of my opening range and maybe even not in my range at all. I elected to fold here. However, also part of my decision were the stack sizes of the HJ, CO and SB – all perfect re-stealing sizes. Just seemed like the best and lowest-risk play at the time.


Hand #70 – Stack 3365, blinds 75/150
I’ve folded for almost two orbits and now I’m UTG+1 with AdKc. UTG is sitting on a fairly big stack (8368) and has been pretty active. He opens to 375 which has been his standard. Because of his level of activity, I think I have to 3-bet here. If some uber-tight nit (guess that’s redundant) had opened, I think I might have just called – although just the thought of only flatting with AK is a little sickening. Anyway, I needn’t have worried. I make it 1050, it folds around and he insta-folds.


Hand #80 – Stack 3740, blinds 75/150
I hold 6c6d UTG – and fold it. Basically, the same argument as #54, plus now blinds have gone up and I feel like 25BBs is simply not enough to warrant raising 66 in that spot.


Hand #85 – Stack 3590, blinds 100/200
In MP1, I pick up AhQc and open-raise to 500. It folds to the button who calls all-in for only 125 chips. Folds to the BB (stack 5720) who also calls. 3 players:

(Pot 1225) FLOP: 2d 4s 5d
The BB checks and I bet 800 for value against both players’ ranges. If the BB raises, I’m folding and if he calls I’ll re-evaluate on the turn. He folds however and the button reveals AsTh. A ten on the turn gives him the main pot, but the side pot is bigger, so I’m quite happy.


Hand #86 – Stack 4640, blinds 100/200
The very next hand I raise AsJs from UTG+1 and take down the blinds. The difference between folding AJo UTG and raising AJs UTG+1 might be minimal, but I feel it’s enough to warrant two different plays.


Hand #91 – Stack 4640, blinds 100/200
I THINK I played this correctly. Really not sure though. I’ve got black nines on the CO. UTG (stack 6940) opens to 600 and it folds to me. I fold. I thought about it for a bit, but this guy had not been out of line and if he’s an average tight player, the part of his range that I ‘beat’ is probably limited to AK (MAYBE AQs, but not even sure that’s in there with this guy). I guess I just figured, I could find a better spot later in the tournament.


Hand #97 – Stack 4340, blinds 100/200
The better spot presented itself only six hands later. On the button I pick up QsQh and open-raise to 500. The SB calls (stack 2760) and the BB folds.

(Pot 1200) FLOP: 2s Jc 3s
He leads 800 into the pot and I’m considering my options. With this flop, I definitely want to play for stacks with this guy. He has 1460 left, but I’m afraid he might fold if I move in (he obviously don’t understand stack sizes, considering his preflop call). I therefore elect to call and get it in on the turn.

(Pot 2800) TURN: 2h
He shoves the rest in and I snap him off. He shows Ks9s, so probably wasn’t folding that flop – EVER! Need to fade a king and a spade.

(Pot 5720) RIVER: Jd – BOOYAH!


Hand #104 – Stack 6950, blinds 125/250/a25
I’m on the CO and hold QsJc. I make it 625 and pick up blinds/antes.


Hand #117 – Stack 6850, blinds 125/250/a25
I’ve been folding the last 12 hands, which included semi-good starting hands like Ah9h and other Ax hands in middle position that I had to let go due to action in front of me. As a result – I think – I make a speculative call from the BB in this hand. I hold 8c9h. It folds to the SB who 3x raises to 750. He has a stack of 7255 and I actually think a reraise is the best play, IF I should in fact choose to get involved. I could make it approx 2000 and still be able to get away from it, should he shove. Instead I just call.

(Pot 1700) FLOP: Ks Jc 2s
He bets 1000 and I consider floating, but think better of it and just fold. Gave away 500 chips unnecessarily.


Hand #119 – Stack 5925, blinds 125/250/a25
On the button I pick up Kc9h and when it folds to me, I raise to 625. The SB is a big stack with approx. 19K in chips, but the BB only has 1762 and I’m essentially playing for his stack, letting him know that he has no fold equity with me, if he shoves. Surprisingly, he calls.

(Pot 1575) FLOP: 3s 8s 3c
He insta-shoves 1112 and I snap him off right away. K-high might still be good on this flop (I think) and I feel there’s value in showing the table that I’m not going anywhere, when I feel the stack sizes are committing. Unfortunately, he 3-outed me when his K8 (!) hit the flop and I don’t re-suck on him. Nh sir.


Hand #124 – Stack 4063, blinds 150/300/a25
UTG+1 I pick up two red queens and when UTG raises to 800, I fake-deliberate for about 8 seconds, before I shove. Unfortunately he folds, but I pick up much needed blinds/antes + his bet.


Hand #126 – Stack 5488, blinds 150/300/a25
In the BB, I hold 6s6c and am praying that I get to shove over a button-raise. Instead the big-stack at the table (stack 20908) raises to 733 from UTG. Hmmm… Not sure what to make of it. It folds to the CO (stack 9397) who makes the call. When it gets to me, I have no idea what to do. I end up chickening out and just calling. Maybe shoving sixes over an UTG raise would have been spewy anyway. The flop comes down Q-high with 3 overcards to my sixes and I fold (interestingly, it’s the CO who ends up c-betting, as UTG just checked).


Hand #129 – Stack 4530, blinds 150/300/a25
I hold AdKh in the CO seat. UTG (stack 24684) just limps and when it folds to me I decide raising all-in does nothing to accomplish my goal of getting paid when I have a big hand. If I shove 15BBs, I doubt he’ll call – so I elect to use the stop’n’go instead. I make it 1200, it folds back to him and he calls.

(Pot 3075) FLOP: 9c 7d 4h
He checks to me and I move all-in (slightly more than pot-bet). He folds right away. Quite happy with that play and would do the exact same thing again in a similar situation.


Hand #133 – Stack 6305, blinds 150/300/a25
I open-raise QhQc from UTG+1 and pick up the blinds/antes.


Hand #135 – Stack 6930, blinds 150/300/a25
My first light (very light!) 3-bet of the tournament. In the BB, I hold Qh5d. It folds to the CO, who has been fairly (not overly) active. I have however noticed him and he seems to be a good thinking player. He has 8433 in chips and raises to 888. When it folds to me, I consider briefly and then make it 2550. I obviously am not putting him on a premium hand, but I elect to make the raise that amount, because it appears committing. He can’t figure to have any fold equity, if he comes over the top and that’s exactly what I want him to think. It goes without saying, I’m folding if he does shove – but he doesn’t know that.

To re-confirm my suspicion, he types into the chat box: “Not the most ideal stack size to be three betting OOP is it?” I’m tempted to answer him, but don’t say anything. Finally he folds and I take it down. A risky play for sure, but waiting around for AA doesn’t cut it very often!


Will leave you on this note for now. Watch this space for Part3 – due up in 24 hours.

Buy-in was $30+3, 666 entrants; the whole thing took 7.5 hours and 1st place was $3,746.

Standard tournament on PokerStars, in the sense that we started with 3000 chips and blinds kicked off at 10/20. As always, I was playing a myriad of different tourneys – approximately 4 at a time – and had already busted out of a few when this one started. Off we go.


Hand #1 – Stack 3000, blinds 10/20
First hand of the tournament and I’m in the BB with Qh7h. Folds around to the SB who completes and I check.

(Pot 40) Flop: 6h Jh Kc
SB checks and because it’s the very first hand I decide to check my flush-draw as well.

(Pot 40) Turn: Td
SB now leads for 40, I make it 140 and he folds. Nothing too special here. Open-end straight and flush draw, possible hitting a queen might be good, plus he could be betting air.


Hand #2 – Stack 3060, blinds 10/20
Very next hand and I pick up 8c8s in the SB. It folds to the HJ who 10x raises (!) to 200. I consider briefly, but see no reason to get involved with a medium pair against an unknown opponent who probably has a big hand. So I fold and feel good about it.


Hand #4 – Stack 3050, blinds 10/20
Stacks are still roughly 3K and I hold Qs9s in the CO. UTG limps, it folds to me and I decide to limp as well. This is a horrible play and my state-of-mind might have had an effect on me here. Button folds, SB completes and BB checks. 4 to the flop:

(Pot 80) FLOP: 6d Ac Jh
Three checks and I decide I might as well try to take it down. I bet 50 and they all fold.


Hand #10 – Stack 3110, blinds 10/20
I hold Tc8h in the BB. UTG limps, MP1 limps, HJ limps and SB completes. 5 players:

(Pot 100) FLOP: 3c 8c 2c
SB checks and I lead 60 at the pot, expecting at least one player to peel with a big club. All fold. Nice.


Hand #11 – Stack 3190, blinds 10/20
I pick up 6h9h in the SB. Preflop like this: UTG folds, UTG+1 limps, MP1 raises to 70, MP2 folds, HJ calls, CO calls, button calls, I call (?), BB calls and UTG+1 calls. 7 players proceed to see a flop that I completely whiff. MP1 leads 2/3 of the pot, but gives it up when the button raises him. I’m not crazy about my call even though pot odds dictate it, especially because the BB or UTG+1 can now squeeze and I’ll have just given away chips unnecessarily. Anyway… *shrug*.


Hand #13 – Stack 3100, blinds 10/20
I have JcTd on the CO and I’m probably a little steamed from some of my other tables at this point. There, that’s my excuse. Now, observe the horror. Folds to MP1 who limps, MP2 raises to 100, HJ folds, I call (??) and everyone else folds.

(Pot 250) FLOP: 5c 4d Qc
MP2 checks and I fire 160 without even thinking. He considers briefly and raises to 460. I fold and feel like an idiot.


Hand #15 – Stack 2840, blinds 15/30
In MP2 I pick up 9c9d. It folds to MP1 who limps, I raise and make it 120, folds back to MP1 who calls.

(Pot 285) FLOP: 3s Ah Ts
MP1 checks and I bet 170, representing the ace. He calls.

(Pot 625) TURN: 7c
MP1 checks and I decide to check as well, to re-evaluate on the river.

(Pot 625) RIVER: 5h
MP1 leads for 330. I guess the draws missed and I could consider a crying call with my nines, but in the long run, I don’t think there’s much value in it. I fold.


Hand #20 – Stack 2520, blinds 15/30
In the SB I hold AdJh and choose the…uhmm – passive route. Folds to the HJ who limps, folds to me – I limp (?) and the BB checks. I guess I just wasn’t feeling it at this point. Sometimes you talk yourself into reasons why ‘not getting involved’ is the best thing to do.

(Pot 90) FLOP: 6s 5d Qc
I check, so does the BB and the HJ bets the pot. I happily fold, but the BB calls. They then proceed to both check the turn (Ts) and when the 9h hits on the river, the BB bluffs at the pot with his 73 – only to be looked up by the HJ with 89. LOL. Guess I should’ve raised the flop for value.


Hand #25 – Stack 2490, blinds 15/30
In MP1 I pick up 9hTh and make it 90. MP2 calls quickly and it folds to the blinds, who both call.

(Pot 360) FLOP: 8s 5d 4d
Two checks and it’s on me. This is really a horrible board (IMO) to c-bet on, especially when both blinds are in the pot and generally it’s ill-advised to bluff into 3 opponents. I do exactly that though and bet 210. MP2 folds, SB calls and BB folds.

(Pot 780) TURN: 8h
SB checks and I give up and check back.

(Pot 780) RIVER: 4c
SB bets 210 and even though I don’t remember, I’m sure my state-of-mind at the time had me at least CONSIDERING a bluff-raise. It would have made no sense and thankfully I just folded.


Hand #28 – Stack 2190, blinds 25/50
In the BB I’ve got two black aces. 2 folds and MP1 (stack 2378) raises to 150. MP2 calls and it folds to me. I think I may not have noticed the caller, cause I only make it 500 to go. Could however also be that I was still a little ‘unstable’ and wanted to give them both a good price. The initial raiser folds, but MP2 calls (very unusual in my experience).

(Pot 1175) FLOP: 5c 8h Jc
I bet 550 (can’t tell you why – maybe trying to look weak? Who knows. Most of these plays are ‘new’ to me, in the sense that they’re not part of how I play normally) and he folds. Guess I just turned my hand face-up.


Hand #30 – Stack 2840, blinds 25/50
Kh6h. BIG hand – or at least I must have thought so. UTG folds, UTG+1 limps, MP1 folds, MP2 limps, CO and HJ both fold and on the button I decide to raise. I make it 250. Everyone folds except MP2 (stack 3700).

(Pot 625) FLOP: 3s 8d 6s
MP2 checks and I bet 400. He folds. Fairly standard I guess, except for my actual holding. Then again, I might also make this move when I’m perfectly calm and collected, if I noticed certain people limping ‘too’ much. Not too unhappy with this play.


Hand #32 – Stack 3215, blinds 25/50
On the HJ, I’ve got 4s4c. UTG min-raises, it folds to me – I call and it folds to the BB who also calls.

(Pot 325) FLOP: Jh 2d Jd
I’ve basically called for set-value, as obviously a small pair doesn’t play well on most flops. When I see this however, I contemplate peeling one as I have position and I might be best here. UTG surprises me however, by checking after the BB checked. I’ve gotta bet it then. I make it 200 and both fold. Easy-peazy.


Hand #34 – Stack 3440, blinds 25/50
MP1 and I’ve got KhQh. Some might disagree, but I think it’s good enough to open that hand at a 9-handed table and I do by 3x raising. Once again, the guy to my immediate left (MP2, stack 1735) calls. He seems a bit spewy (NO comments about me being the spewtard, tyvm!). Everyone else folds.

(Pot 375) FLOP: Kd 8s 6c
I standard c-bet 225 and he folds. This game is so easy.


Hand #36 – Stack 3665, blinds 25/50
I’m UTG and pick up AcKd. I make it my standard 3x. It folds to the button (3000) who calls, as does the SB (2465). The BB folds.

(Pot 500) FLOP: Ts 7c Qh
The BB checks and so do I. Button bets 200 and we both give it up. I feel this has to be the correct play. I don’t see a c-bet taking this pot down, when I’m up against two opponents and the board looks like that. It’s very likely to have hit someone and I’m effectively only happy if I see a jack. Plus, I’ll be out of position. Easy decision, but one I’m making more lightly these days than I did only a few months ago.


Hand #40
No need to mention stack sizes. I limp 87off from the CO and whiff the flop. Fold. Absolutely a ghastly play – should’ve been an easy fold.


Hand #46 – Stack 3390, blinds 50/100
I’m in the BB with QsJs. It folds to MP2 who raises to 300. HJ, SB and I all call. 4 players:

(Pot 1200) FLOP: Qc Kc 5c
We check to the original raiser and he overbets by making it 1400. That could mean anything from naked ace of clubs to a set of kings. No way of knowing. All fold.


Hand #49 – Stack 3040, blinds 50/100
On the CO, I pick up KhJc and when it folds to me I make it my standard raise of 250. The button folds and the SB (stack 4805) now re-raises to 600 total. BB folds back to me. Something didn’t smell right here. I considered first that I had just lowered my raise-size from 3x to 2.5x which he might perceive as weak. Second his re-raise size was noteworthy – I thought it was a little odd. Finally, the pic he had as his PokerStars avatar, which was of a young kid with a backwards baseball cap (hey, sometimes it’s the tiny things that sway your decision). Anyway, when adding all that up I decided he was re-stealing and couldn’t call a shove, so I shipped it in. He insta-folded. Well played me.


Will try to do approximately 50 hands at a time in this series. Next 50 or so coming up in 24 hours.


Last note: I’ve never said so, but if you’ve got comments to any of the hands I bring up, please feel more than free to post them here. I think most would do that without the added encouragement, but anyway – there it is. Later.

About 16 hours ago I was already mentally preparing a blog-entry. At the time, I still had several live tables up on my screen, but had just closed one after getting all my money in with AhKh against QQ on a 3h6h9d board – and losing. Only a slight edge, I realize that, but it was literally on the money bubble and the winner would have a top-5 stack. Moreover, I had been losing several 70/30s and a few other flips all day and was now fuming!

So, while still steaming, I was contemplating how I might be able to get away with writing a 20-page epic blog on bad beats, without sounding like a pathetic whiner. (Stop. Do not pass Go. Do not collect 400 dollars – simply not possible)

That’s when the damndest thing happened. I only had 3 other tables running and I was in no hand at the time, so I decided to close my eyes, take 3-4 deep breaths - and remind myself that losing my cool now, would be the worst thing I could do – and got stuck back in.

When the day came to an end, I had taken down a $33, 15K guaranteed tourney on Pokerstars, defeating 665 other players and winning $3.4K in the process! BOO-YAH!!!! You have no idea how psyched I was – and now, 16 hours later, STILL am. I wrote in one of my blogs not too long ago, that I felt a big 4-figure score was just around the corner for me and that perseverance – not panic – was the way to go.

So, here I am – my first four figure score under my belt and hopefully many more to come. I’ll be going through the hand history of this tournament win and will share interesting hands in this forum. Not that I think I did anything particularly different to normal, but hey – if there’s a winning formula in there, I might as well have a go at finding it!


Days left until Aussie Millions 2010: 197

Well, I don’t need to tell you – do I? You know all about it, you’ve been there before and will be there again soon enough… Yeah. Puke, yuck, meh. Just one of them days.


Currently, variance has been making me her bitch (variance… gotta be female, yeah?) and yet I probably shouldn’t even be complaining all that much, seeing how my most recent tourneys have actually included a couple of small final tables. Small, because we’re talking field sizes of approximately 200-250, making the “pot of gold” that we’re all chasing, sometimes looks more like a pot of… uhmm, really nice apples. Yep, I’ve gone and done it – chosen a weird metaphor again and now I’ve gotta just run with it.


So, it’s not like you don’t want the apples – oh no you really do, cause well – they’re still apples – they’re just not as attractive as some of the other pots around. Kinda wish I had an apple right now. And some pot. Mmmm… apples and pot.
Uhhm yeah. So…, uhmm – anyway…


The last two final tables I’ve made, I’ve come in 7th and 6th respectively. The 7th place finish was annoying. I’d come into the last two tables with a monster stack, only to see it dwindle pretty quickly. Obviously a monster at that point of most tourneys is approximately 40 BBs and it therefore doesn’t take more than 1 or 2 short-stack all-in confrontations that don’t go your way, before you yourself are the one everyone’s gunning for. Anyway, so that happened and then I go card-dead and get to the final table as a bottom-3 stack.


Imagine my frustration then when I finally pick up AQ in the CO. Angels were singing and I snap-shoved my 7BB stack. Did the BB have to have two aces? Well, NO… (duh!) – but he did and that was all she wrote.


Making it to the second final table lifted my spirits again! Ready to go! No more running into aces for me! Being “outplayed” wasn’t part of the plan either though…


Again, I have AQ and 6-handed I raise 2.4x from the button with a 18BB stack. SB flats and the BB is getting a good price, so he tags along. Flop is 8hThTd and I have the queen of hearts. They both checked and because a check-raise is the worst thing for my hand, I decide to check as well. Turn is the Q of diamonds and the SB min-bets. I decide he’s just looking to pick up an uncontested pot and raise him 3.5x his bet. He thinks for a long time and shoves (only JUST covering me). I figure there are hands I beat (not a lot) and have to call. He shows KK and the river bricks.
It’s all good. I’m cashing in a high percentage of tourneys and I’ll soon be the one picking up AA and KK at final tables.


Wow, this has turned into such a weird blog entry, compared to my ‘normal’ style of writing. I’m
just kinda ranting on, huh? Time to go then. You’re excused.


Days left until Aussie Millions 2010: 205

I check-raise well. God, I am just the awesomest (quote, Barney Stinson) check-raiser ever. When I check to all the donkeys and they donk into me with their donkish donk-bets, I just love to check-raise their asses! Teaches them who is boss…!

…LOL. I don’t know why I wrote the above, but to anyone who didn’t pick up on it; those three lines are laden with irony. Come to think of it though, it wouldn’t surprise me at all, if there are actual people out there, who DO think those things. That’s hysterical…

Back to serious. I thought long and hard about what I (honestly) think I’m good at, when it comes to poker. Basically, I didn’t wanna sound like a pretentious fool with an inordinately arrogant perception of his own skills, so here it is.

Bankroll management. Yes, I am actually quite good at bankroll management. I wasn’t when I just started playing, but I doubt anyone is really. I’m a bit of a numbers-nerd and therefore thoroughly enjoy compiling statistics about the tournaments I play, the percentage of ITM-finishes I achieve, the potential new level of buy-in a certain bankroll allows me, based on a 50-buy-in-rule, 100-buy-in-rule etc etc. I haven’t re-invented the wheel in this connection, just picked from the various rules that others seem to be using profitably. In my opinion, the following elements are compulsory for anyone wishing to exercise sound bankroll management.

- Tournament play (includes STT play) should see you working with a minimum of 100 buy-ins at all times. I would even say that more than 100 is preferable, meaning that just because you have a $10K bankroll doesn’t necessarily mean you have to play only $100 tournaments. The 100 buy-in rule for me is a guideline for the MOST expensive tournaments you should take shots at.

My own current bankroll is hovering around the $6700 mark at the moment, after having been over $7K not too long ago. As such, this means I will from time to time take shots at $20rebuy (realistic investment 62 dollars) as well as theoretic $67 tourneys, if there was such a thing. I do however tend to play anything from $5rebuys to $10-20 freeze-outs and the occasional $50 tourneys.

My own biggest revelation (and an insanely logical one, at that) is that I play a lot better when I don’t worry about the money I spent to play the tournament. If you’ve got $420 in your online account and register for a $100+9 tourney, not very many people have the ability to not let that affect their play. I’m just saying…

- As for cash games, I don’t personally play them at the moment, but I have in the past. I feel the important thing is to consider the amount of money you’re risking at any given time – and not the stakes you’re playing. If you’re risking 5% of your bankroll during a cash game(s), then I’d say that’s probably the highest you should go. Again, let’s assume you’ve got a 1000 dollar bankroll. 5% is 50 bucks. This would allow you to play 1 table of NL50 (assuming full buy-in), 2 tables of NL25 or 5 tables of NL10 etc etc. I’ve heard people say, “Ok, a thousand bucks – 5% is equal to NL50” – and then proceed to fire up 4 tables at those stakes. Wrong. Now you’re risking 20% of your roll. Before I ‘got good’ at this bankroll thing, I DID the above myself – and unsuccessfully, I might add, so take it from me.

If you’re a limit player or perhaps play Pot Limit Omaha, I’ve got no clue what your bankroll should be. Probably a lot for the Omaha. Probably less for the limit games. If you’re Gus Hansen, you probably need a shitload. Who knows where those nosebleed-playing guys get their cash?

Anyway, I digress and that was not the point. Bankroll management – I know my way around an excel spreadsheet, I’m pretty good at calculating percentages and for the time being I feel like I’ve got BM-theory figured out. It IS a huge part of being a successful poker player. Hope y’all keep strict guidelines as well.


Days left until Aussie Millions 2010: 211