Monday, April 30, 2007
Saturday was not the results I wanted
Well I had my 3rd Annual Hart Invitational Poker Tournament on Saturday. I had a great turn out of 26 players with the weather in the 70's here in Mpls. I was surprised. So we had 3 Bounty Seats each worth $40 on their heads. First place would win $420 and 6th would get their $40 buy-in back. Plus if a Bounty won the game with would walk out with an additional $170 so won of them could walk out with $600.
I started off with a bang almost doubling up the first hand of the game. I'm in the big blind with ace three suited diamonds. four people limp into the pot and I'm happy to see the flop and it comes up all diamonds!!! The whistles are going off in my head and just wondering how much money I can win being the first hand. I check when Alex who is to my left bets a $100, the blinds are $10/$20 starting. I'm like yes, Micah, a lose crazy player calls the other 2 fold and I smooth call. The turn brings an 8 of spades, harmless. I check, Alex bets another $100 and Micah calls. Enough with Micah in the hand I think because he is a lose cannon, I want him out so I raise it to $400. Of course Alex calls so I think flush or a king or queen since both are out on the flop but are diamonds, Micah folds. The river is a blank 2 of hearts, yes, nothing can beat my hand I have the stone cold nuts. Now the key is how much can I get from Alex? I go all in and he is out of there. Most of my regulars know I'm a solid selective aggressive player so the all in he would lay down. We started with $1,500 in chips so I throw out my $500 chip and hope for a call or by a mircle all in. He calls! Yes! He turns over nine seven of diamonds. Funny thing is today online I take out a guy holding that same hand he hits the flush on the flop I trip on the flop but hit the river with another jack to make quads. The only difference I raised preflop and the bozo should have never called with nine seven suited when he had no chips invested in the pot, took him out of course.
So then the table has 3 more flushes in a row, amazing, and people say it only happens online, bs. But none of the player got the pull down of chips I did. I'm the chip leader and becuase of my image I rake some more uncontested pots and have control over the table, it's a beatiful thing. Then the worst happens the tables get unbalanced and I just won a hand so I have to move, my house rule, winner's of the most recent hand always move. I sit down next to Denny which is a blessing and a curse. First off is one of the two big stacks at the table, he has more than I do and sitting to my right. One at least I get to act after him and he shakes like a leaf when he has a big hand, so there is the blessing. I sit down win the first hand and bully a couple hands stealing some blinds using my stack and image, it's great when you have this image when you have a lot of chips because people have to respect your play. So when you have the chips you can bluff at them and people will lay hands down to you. Things are going good but now the curse Denny's hands are shaking a lot and I have to lay down some hands I would have loved to play but I know I'm beat everytime. Sure enough he is getting pocket kings, aces, it's crazy. The bad thing is others are not paying attention to this and are calling his pre-flop raises and losing tons of chips to him, making him more of a threat to me later on in the game. So for the next hour so I held my own keeping pretty much a good amount of my chips and still one of the top 5 chips leaders in the tourney. The biggest problem is that 3 of us are at one table. Nona becomes the overall chip leader by taking out my wife the returning champion and a Bounty and then she takes out Brian who was the out first year's champion. Now she is dangerous, Nona plays a lot of online poker, she is a housewife so when her husband, one of my best friends comes home from work she gets online to plays a lot of heads up matches and sit-n-go tourney's. She is good, I had been taking chips from her up until this point but now I won't have the edge over her.
This is when things go bad for me. I lose a big hand when I flop a queen high straight having the bottom piece of it. Denny is in the hand but his hands didn't shake preflop, no raise. Nona bets $100, Denny raises to $300, no shake, I call, Nona folds. Then the worse thing happens an ace hits the turn and I know Denny has the frickin king, I know it. He bets $300 I call, the river is a blank he bets $500 I call and he turns over king queen. I look at a couple of things here, I could have lost a lot more chips. If I would have went all in after the flop Denny would have called with his Queens and king kicker with the draw. Maybe I could have laid down on the river but Denny didn't raise preflop, so he could of had 2 pair so I had pot odds to call even though my gut told me he had the king, he made it cheap. I still had plenty of chips but it's going to hurt more. We are down to the final two tables and the remaining players from table number 3 are dividing into the open spots at tables 1 and 2. Sure enough the chip leader from table 3 draws are table so 4 out of the 5 big stacks are at this table, not good. A new player to my game for the first time, I don't know a thing about him except he is a new guy at my company. He has more chips than me too, so I don't like that either. He sits back for a while and steals a pot from Nona, or Nona just didn't have anything and laid the hand down. So here it is I'm the big blind Jason, the new guy is on the button. He raises 3 times the the big and I look down at ace queen, great I call! The flop is huge party poker ace king queen BINGO! I check he bets $300 and I reraise to $800, he than says if you have me beat that's poker and goes all-in, I have to call right? Can anyone lay this down to a guy you have never played a hand with, haven't scene his hole cards yet at the table? I call he shows ace king, my nightmare and they hold and I'm out in 11th place.
As the rest of the tourney goes, Nona ends up knocking out her husband and takes Jason out who is one of the remaining 2 bounties at the final table. She ends up tiring out, 2 babies would tire and one out and it's 12:30 at night she takes 3rd place which paid $150 so not bad taking out 2 bounties and 3rd place. I really think she would have won the tournament he she didn't mentally and pyshcially tire out. So the last reamining Bounty Stephen was heads up against a guy named Dan, not a frequent player in my tournaments but makes an appearance once and a while. Dan took Nona out so he has a commanding chip lead over Stephen. But Stephen doubles up twice and now could get the chip lead if he plays smart. He had been playing super tight all the way to heads up and I mean super tight. But he is tired and sure enough he loses and he walks out with $230 versus $600. I would have figured a way to wake up. So I have a new champion with Dan but that poker money won't probably go back into my regular Thursday night game like Stephen's money will. At least we have a Jackpot Bounty on Thursday worth $170, I'll probably get about 18 players showing up this week to play for a chance to get that Bounty Seat.
I started off with a bang almost doubling up the first hand of the game. I'm in the big blind with ace three suited diamonds. four people limp into the pot and I'm happy to see the flop and it comes up all diamonds!!! The whistles are going off in my head and just wondering how much money I can win being the first hand. I check when Alex who is to my left bets a $100, the blinds are $10/$20 starting. I'm like yes, Micah, a lose crazy player calls the other 2 fold and I smooth call. The turn brings an 8 of spades, harmless. I check, Alex bets another $100 and Micah calls. Enough with Micah in the hand I think because he is a lose cannon, I want him out so I raise it to $400. Of course Alex calls so I think flush or a king or queen since both are out on the flop but are diamonds, Micah folds. The river is a blank 2 of hearts, yes, nothing can beat my hand I have the stone cold nuts. Now the key is how much can I get from Alex? I go all in and he is out of there. Most of my regulars know I'm a solid selective aggressive player so the all in he would lay down. We started with $1,500 in chips so I throw out my $500 chip and hope for a call or by a mircle all in. He calls! Yes! He turns over nine seven of diamonds. Funny thing is today online I take out a guy holding that same hand he hits the flush on the flop I trip on the flop but hit the river with another jack to make quads. The only difference I raised preflop and the bozo should have never called with nine seven suited when he had no chips invested in the pot, took him out of course.
So then the table has 3 more flushes in a row, amazing, and people say it only happens online, bs. But none of the player got the pull down of chips I did. I'm the chip leader and becuase of my image I rake some more uncontested pots and have control over the table, it's a beatiful thing. Then the worst happens the tables get unbalanced and I just won a hand so I have to move, my house rule, winner's of the most recent hand always move. I sit down next to Denny which is a blessing and a curse. First off is one of the two big stacks at the table, he has more than I do and sitting to my right. One at least I get to act after him and he shakes like a leaf when he has a big hand, so there is the blessing. I sit down win the first hand and bully a couple hands stealing some blinds using my stack and image, it's great when you have this image when you have a lot of chips because people have to respect your play. So when you have the chips you can bluff at them and people will lay hands down to you. Things are going good but now the curse Denny's hands are shaking a lot and I have to lay down some hands I would have loved to play but I know I'm beat everytime. Sure enough he is getting pocket kings, aces, it's crazy. The bad thing is others are not paying attention to this and are calling his pre-flop raises and losing tons of chips to him, making him more of a threat to me later on in the game. So for the next hour so I held my own keeping pretty much a good amount of my chips and still one of the top 5 chips leaders in the tourney. The biggest problem is that 3 of us are at one table. Nona becomes the overall chip leader by taking out my wife the returning champion and a Bounty and then she takes out Brian who was the out first year's champion. Now she is dangerous, Nona plays a lot of online poker, she is a housewife so when her husband, one of my best friends comes home from work she gets online to plays a lot of heads up matches and sit-n-go tourney's. She is good, I had been taking chips from her up until this point but now I won't have the edge over her.
This is when things go bad for me. I lose a big hand when I flop a queen high straight having the bottom piece of it. Denny is in the hand but his hands didn't shake preflop, no raise. Nona bets $100, Denny raises to $300, no shake, I call, Nona folds. Then the worse thing happens an ace hits the turn and I know Denny has the frickin king, I know it. He bets $300 I call, the river is a blank he bets $500 I call and he turns over king queen. I look at a couple of things here, I could have lost a lot more chips. If I would have went all in after the flop Denny would have called with his Queens and king kicker with the draw. Maybe I could have laid down on the river but Denny didn't raise preflop, so he could of had 2 pair so I had pot odds to call even though my gut told me he had the king, he made it cheap. I still had plenty of chips but it's going to hurt more. We are down to the final two tables and the remaining players from table number 3 are dividing into the open spots at tables 1 and 2. Sure enough the chip leader from table 3 draws are table so 4 out of the 5 big stacks are at this table, not good. A new player to my game for the first time, I don't know a thing about him except he is a new guy at my company. He has more chips than me too, so I don't like that either. He sits back for a while and steals a pot from Nona, or Nona just didn't have anything and laid the hand down. So here it is I'm the big blind Jason, the new guy is on the button. He raises 3 times the the big and I look down at ace queen, great I call! The flop is huge party poker ace king queen BINGO! I check he bets $300 and I reraise to $800, he than says if you have me beat that's poker and goes all-in, I have to call right? Can anyone lay this down to a guy you have never played a hand with, haven't scene his hole cards yet at the table? I call he shows ace king, my nightmare and they hold and I'm out in 11th place.
As the rest of the tourney goes, Nona ends up knocking out her husband and takes Jason out who is one of the remaining 2 bounties at the final table. She ends up tiring out, 2 babies would tire and one out and it's 12:30 at night she takes 3rd place which paid $150 so not bad taking out 2 bounties and 3rd place. I really think she would have won the tournament he she didn't mentally and pyshcially tire out. So the last reamining Bounty Stephen was heads up against a guy named Dan, not a frequent player in my tournaments but makes an appearance once and a while. Dan took Nona out so he has a commanding chip lead over Stephen. But Stephen doubles up twice and now could get the chip lead if he plays smart. He had been playing super tight all the way to heads up and I mean super tight. But he is tired and sure enough he loses and he walks out with $230 versus $600. I would have figured a way to wake up. So I have a new champion with Dan but that poker money won't probably go back into my regular Thursday night game like Stephen's money will. At least we have a Jackpot Bounty on Thursday worth $170, I'll probably get about 18 players showing up this week to play for a chance to get that Bounty Seat.
Friday, April 20, 2007
The Jackpot Bounty Is Alive
Well last night was my Thursday Night Poker game. My first game had 17 players all either there to win the Bounty or keep it alive for my 3rd Annual Hart Invitational. I had a lot riding on this since I didn't want anyone to win it before the Hart Invitational. I have about 20 players showing up right now but I knew if the Jackpot Bounty was alive for next Saturday I could maybe see a field of 30 players.
The first game Stephen had the Bounty on his head and he was at my table to my left a seat over. So I thought at least I have a chance to get him out. However, he started off on fire and became an early chip leader at our table. I had won one hand early on and never even saw another ace, face card without a 3 or 4 unsuited, no suited connectors, one gapped suited cards, nothing. I was felted and won that hand, felted again and won that hand. I mad the final table LOL! Of course I was out first when I was in the big blind first hand. Wayne the small blind raised enough knowing I would go all in. He held Ace Jack, I held Ace Five suited, believe or not I had a flush draw after the flop but luck was not there. The good news was Stephen got knocked out in 3rd place keeping the Jacpot Bounty alive and Wayne did up winning the game.
The second game of the night Jeremy would end up having the Bounty on his head. He was at the other table so I had no way of knocking him out until the final table. I had pretty much control of my table early on and held the chip lead until tables combined. Jeremy came and sat to my left with the chip lead, way more than my chip lead. However, I was second in chips and really felt I was the only one good enough to take him out. Stephen helped cripple the wild card at the table JD, when he bluffed a big pot with Two Seven offsuit against him. It was a great play, Stephen had been playing really tight during both games laying down some huge hands so he had the image all set. Of course he showed the bluff when JD laid down the winning hand. So now I had Stephen to help me take down Jeremy who had a huge chip lead. I would and Stephen would chip away at Jeremy. I would take the lead, Stephen would take the lead but we never gave the chip lead back to Jeremy. I ended knocking him out in 3rd place so next Saturday there will be another $145 alive for the Hart Invitational. I would end up battling Stephen heads up but I came away with the victory which was nice and a good confidence builder going into the Hart Invitational. I could walk away with over $500 with a win next week.
The first game Stephen had the Bounty on his head and he was at my table to my left a seat over. So I thought at least I have a chance to get him out. However, he started off on fire and became an early chip leader at our table. I had won one hand early on and never even saw another ace, face card without a 3 or 4 unsuited, no suited connectors, one gapped suited cards, nothing. I was felted and won that hand, felted again and won that hand. I mad the final table LOL! Of course I was out first when I was in the big blind first hand. Wayne the small blind raised enough knowing I would go all in. He held Ace Jack, I held Ace Five suited, believe or not I had a flush draw after the flop but luck was not there. The good news was Stephen got knocked out in 3rd place keeping the Jacpot Bounty alive and Wayne did up winning the game.
The second game of the night Jeremy would end up having the Bounty on his head. He was at the other table so I had no way of knocking him out until the final table. I had pretty much control of my table early on and held the chip lead until tables combined. Jeremy came and sat to my left with the chip lead, way more than my chip lead. However, I was second in chips and really felt I was the only one good enough to take him out. Stephen helped cripple the wild card at the table JD, when he bluffed a big pot with Two Seven offsuit against him. It was a great play, Stephen had been playing really tight during both games laying down some huge hands so he had the image all set. Of course he showed the bluff when JD laid down the winning hand. So now I had Stephen to help me take down Jeremy who had a huge chip lead. I would and Stephen would chip away at Jeremy. I would take the lead, Stephen would take the lead but we never gave the chip lead back to Jeremy. I ended knocking him out in 3rd place so next Saturday there will be another $145 alive for the Hart Invitational. I would end up battling Stephen heads up but I came away with the victory which was nice and a good confidence builder going into the Hart Invitational. I could walk away with over $500 with a win next week.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Taking a Break Can Be Helpful
Well a week ago starting with my Thursday Night Home Game I hit a losing streak and it went for the whole weekend. So what's the best thing to do? Take a break, I took Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off. I went into my next Thursday Night Home Game fresh and ready to play. The first game I slid into second place and the next I finished in the money taking 4th. Then online every tourney I played in I finished in the money. So my advice when you hit that bad run just take a break, just get away from the game, watch a movie, read a book, or go excercise, you know we all sit at the tables for hours so a little walk couldn't hurt anyone.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Even a 9 Year Old Can Win at Poker
First off before I go any further I don't think kids should gamble. I myself have told my kids they shouldn't gamble or make bets. My son Billy watches me play cards a lot, online and in my home games. Once and a while there was a site I played poker and they had other casino games such as roulette and when I wanted a break from poker I would let him pick the numbers or red black. We had a lot of fun on that site, but they are gone like many that don't operate in the U.S.
My friends will even play for fun with my son when they get knocked out of the game. But he not allowed to play for money. My friends respect my wishes of course. I've told Billy he can't play for money until he has a real job with a paycheck, something to lose. I feel some of these young kids(18 to 20 year olds) playing online or at the casino shouldn't be playing with their parents money, college funds. If they have a real job or had a real job and won a big tournament I'm fine with that. But I do know some young guys using their parents credit card to play poker when they should be using the money only for an emergency. That's my rant.
So to the story. Last night I just sat down on Fulltilt to play a $2 tourney, I don't think I played a hand yet but one guy was knocked out. My phone rings and a friend needs to get picked up at the airport. So Billy and Stephinie are the only one's home with me, and we are babysitting Alexander(my grandson). So I let Billy play, I've taught Stephinie, Billy, and Sabrina all to play Hold'em. Billy has watched me play countless hours. Once again the great thing about online I can stay home and play, also why I have a home game every week instead of going to the cardroom 30 minutes away. I love my kids. And they have reaped the rewards of me winning like movies, dinner's, vacations, and special treats, so they don't mind I play and really like it when I play big games.
So I go pick up my friend and drop her off at her son's. So I'm driving home and thinking where did the little guy place. I come in the door and ask him and he took 3rd place. I give him a high five and a way to go! Now he wanted to play another $2 tourney and I told him no of course. But I was very proud of him taking 3rd place and he told me all about the game.
All the poker guys say he will be a world champion someday. My hope is first he play football in the NFL and then poker.
My friends will even play for fun with my son when they get knocked out of the game. But he not allowed to play for money. My friends respect my wishes of course. I've told Billy he can't play for money until he has a real job with a paycheck, something to lose. I feel some of these young kids(18 to 20 year olds) playing online or at the casino shouldn't be playing with their parents money, college funds. If they have a real job or had a real job and won a big tournament I'm fine with that. But I do know some young guys using their parents credit card to play poker when they should be using the money only for an emergency. That's my rant.
So to the story. Last night I just sat down on Fulltilt to play a $2 tourney, I don't think I played a hand yet but one guy was knocked out. My phone rings and a friend needs to get picked up at the airport. So Billy and Stephinie are the only one's home with me, and we are babysitting Alexander(my grandson). So I let Billy play, I've taught Stephinie, Billy, and Sabrina all to play Hold'em. Billy has watched me play countless hours. Once again the great thing about online I can stay home and play, also why I have a home game every week instead of going to the cardroom 30 minutes away. I love my kids. And they have reaped the rewards of me winning like movies, dinner's, vacations, and special treats, so they don't mind I play and really like it when I play big games.
So I go pick up my friend and drop her off at her son's. So I'm driving home and thinking where did the little guy place. I come in the door and ask him and he took 3rd place. I give him a high five and a way to go! Now he wanted to play another $2 tourney and I told him no of course. But I was very proud of him taking 3rd place and he told me all about the game.
All the poker guys say he will be a world champion someday. My hope is first he play football in the NFL and then poker.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Never Chase a Bonus When There is a Time Limit
Well I made a mistake in bankroll management last week. About two weeks ago Fulltilt sent me an e-mail stating they would give me a $50 bonus however I had until April 1st to clear it. Now the thing I like about Fulltilt is they release the bonus $5 at a time which is nice, but the time limit thing sucks. So right away I clear $5. Now I'm playing no limit hold'em .05/.10 blinds which I shouldn't have been doing with a $50 bankroll there. I should have had at least $100 if not $200 to be playing at that limit, but there is no other option on Fulltilt. So Saturday I was close releasing another $5 with April 1st being the closeout. So I played late into the night with no luck and ended only with $10 in my account at 3 in the morning. So I went to bed thinking if I play a tournament when I wake up and win it it I could still clear it, I was so close. When I woke I played a tournament and placed 3rd so I went back to play some more cash no-limit. I was back to $10 and looked to see how close I was to the bonus. But I didn't see there was a time as well as date. I only had until 8:30 the morning of the 1st. So now I'm down to my last $10 bucks on Fulltilt.
So my plan of turning $50 on five sites into $10k on each wasn't looking good on Fulltilt. So my first lesson don't chase a bonus on a limited bankroll, it's not worth it.
Next thing I decided was since I have over $150 on PokerStars and Ultimatebet that I should get AbsolutePoker and Bodog up to the same amount as well. I would also go broke on Fulltilt or build my bankroll back up.
So with my $10 on Fulltilt I would either win or leave the site for good. I played 4 sit'n'go's yesterday and I placed in the money all four times building my bankroll back up to $25. I took two 3rd places, a 2nd place, and a 1st place. So not bad, I was playing $2.00 sit-n-go's.
So tonight I will go back to Fulltilt and do the same. Maybe I can get back to $50 tonight, that would be nice.
So my plan of turning $50 on five sites into $10k on each wasn't looking good on Fulltilt. So my first lesson don't chase a bonus on a limited bankroll, it's not worth it.
Next thing I decided was since I have over $150 on PokerStars and Ultimatebet that I should get AbsolutePoker and Bodog up to the same amount as well. I would also go broke on Fulltilt or build my bankroll back up.
So with my $10 on Fulltilt I would either win or leave the site for good. I played 4 sit'n'go's yesterday and I placed in the money all four times building my bankroll back up to $25. I took two 3rd places, a 2nd place, and a 1st place. So not bad, I was playing $2.00 sit-n-go's.
So tonight I will go back to Fulltilt and do the same. Maybe I can get back to $50 tonight, that would be nice.
