Since my win from yesterday, I have had some minor successes but also some setbacks, so that my current bankroll is only $75 or so. We'll see how it continues, at least I am happy about the way I am playing.
I realized what I was doing wrong at Party. The blinds increase much slower than at Pacific, and I was simply too impatient. At Pacific, when the blinds hit 50/100 or 75/150 (starting stack 1200 or 1500), you have to start making moves, because the blinds increase every ten hands (!!). But at Party, when the blinds are 50/100 (starting stack 2000) it takes ten full minutes before the blinds increase to 100/200. This means you have much more time to wait for good cards, and there is no need to make desperate moves, and also steals become less urgent.
Another property of the Party players is that they often cannot let go of a hand. Many times, a continuation bet with air is simply not going to work, and I did not take this sufficiently into account. Only when the blinds really mean something (at least 100/200) are the players more liable to lay hands down, though even there you see the most horrible calls.
In my last game, a frequent raiser raised to 600 on the button (level 100/200). I reraised all-in for 2100 (I think it was), and he actually called... with 44. Unfortunately, I did not hold a higher pair but only two high cards, and I lost this race. I suppose that I should not have been racing in this situation at all and just fold to his raise, but he had gotten on my nerves. I guess that was my real mistake in this situation!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
A first
For the first time ever, I have won a $22 SNG at Party! It is of course a bit crazy to play in such a game with a bankroll of $62, but I really did not have the feeling that the players there were better (from my previous attempt). Of course, had I lost, I would have switched back to $11 or even $6 games.
I got a boost at the start when a player with QQ reraised me and then called my all-in reraise: I held KK... Then another time, when I raised on the button and the BB thought that I must be bluffing. He moved in all his chips, but I had AK! Since I had about twice his stack, I did not have to think too long about calling (I suppose you have to call regardless of your stack size here).
Maybe one of these days I will pick up the courage to play in a Step 3 SNG directly, without trying to qualify. It is quite amazing, but I only ever played one Step 3 game, and the same holds for Step 4-6. I finished in the top three in every single one of them... Afterwards, I never again managed to qualify from Step 2.
But first I will try a few more $22 games I guess. It is nice to be back to winning at Party too. My winnings at Party are now again larger than they are at Pacific.
I got a boost at the start when a player with QQ reraised me and then called my all-in reraise: I held KK... Then another time, when I raised on the button and the BB thought that I must be bluffing. He moved in all his chips, but I had AK! Since I had about twice his stack, I did not have to think too long about calling (I suppose you have to call regardless of your stack size here).
Maybe one of these days I will pick up the courage to play in a Step 3 SNG directly, without trying to qualify. It is quite amazing, but I only ever played one Step 3 game, and the same holds for Step 4-6. I finished in the top three in every single one of them... Afterwards, I never again managed to qualify from Step 2.
But first I will try a few more $22 games I guess. It is nice to be back to winning at Party too. My winnings at Party are now again larger than they are at Pacific.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Back in business
I won another $5 game, after two second place finishes! It is really a relief to be winning some small games again, you start to doubt yourself after a while.
There as a tough spot where I raised to 400 UTG with 99, a known idiot called but then a very tight player went all-in for 1500 over the top. With a pot of 2300 now and only 1100 to play, I suppose I should have really called here, but I was just too chicken. I folded, the known idiot called with K8 and the tight player held AK... To top it all off, there was a 9 on the flop.
I also needed some luck, when I went all-in on KTs after one limper, the BB with AJo called me and I needed to spike a T on the river to stay alive. Over the course of the game, that BB would eventually donate all of his chips to me. Especially towards the end, when we were left with only three players, it was clear that he really did not have a clue how to play. He had a preflop raise percentage of 30% near the end, and while this won him a lot of small pots of course, he also developed the habit of actually calling reraises with this trash...
Another point where my decision was dubious to say the least was where I went all-in with 22 on the bubble, after the BB from above made yet another raise to 3xBB. He actually called and showed me A2, so he had rather few outs. I did get a scary moment when the board paired, but fortunately it did not pair a second time (which would have counterfeited my pocket pair) and I won that pot.
My decision was not as bad as it may seem, though. It was extremely likely that I was up against two higher cards, making me a slight favorite, so I definitely got great odds. [And in fact, my odds turned out to be even better, because he had only one higher card.] Also, he might fold to my reraise (I naively thought). However, from a point of view of trying to make it into the money, I played way too loose and "should have" folded that hand. After all, winning that hand did not ensure that I would make the money, but losing it would most definitely be the end of the game for me. But it is not easy to play that tight!
I deposited $60 at Party a week ago, to try and clear a bonus. While this is not going to work out, I am quite happy to be just back on $60 again now. Yes, it had been going quite badly...
There as a tough spot where I raised to 400 UTG with 99, a known idiot called but then a very tight player went all-in for 1500 over the top. With a pot of 2300 now and only 1100 to play, I suppose I should have really called here, but I was just too chicken. I folded, the known idiot called with K8 and the tight player held AK... To top it all off, there was a 9 on the flop.
I also needed some luck, when I went all-in on KTs after one limper, the BB with AJo called me and I needed to spike a T on the river to stay alive. Over the course of the game, that BB would eventually donate all of his chips to me. Especially towards the end, when we were left with only three players, it was clear that he really did not have a clue how to play. He had a preflop raise percentage of 30% near the end, and while this won him a lot of small pots of course, he also developed the habit of actually calling reraises with this trash...
Another point where my decision was dubious to say the least was where I went all-in with 22 on the bubble, after the BB from above made yet another raise to 3xBB. He actually called and showed me A2, so he had rather few outs. I did get a scary moment when the board paired, but fortunately it did not pair a second time (which would have counterfeited my pocket pair) and I won that pot.
My decision was not as bad as it may seem, though. It was extremely likely that I was up against two higher cards, making me a slight favorite, so I definitely got great odds. [And in fact, my odds turned out to be even better, because he had only one higher card.] Also, he might fold to my reraise (I naively thought). However, from a point of view of trying to make it into the money, I played way too loose and "should have" folded that hand. After all, winning that hand did not ensure that I would make the money, but losing it would most definitely be the end of the game for me. But it is not easy to play that tight!
I deposited $60 at Party a week ago, to try and clear a bonus. While this is not going to work out, I am quite happy to be just back on $60 again now. Yes, it had been going quite badly...
Monday, September 24, 2007
Bad beats are boring
With that in mind, I am happy to report a positive result for a change. I managed to finish 2nd in a $5 game at Party. Thus my net winnings with those $5 games (since I started my newest database) are again positive now. I am not going to manage to clear the bonus though. I get the feeling that it has become slightly more difficult to clear bonuses at Party, am not sure.
My previous game at Party went less well, but the important thing is that I played well. I went all-in over the top of a short stack who had gone all-in several times before without getting called. Unfortunately, this time he actually had a hand: JJ, and I only had 99. What is worse, the big stack in the big blind actually called with AKs and managed to make a flush... With a third nine, no less :-(
Well, onwards and upwards...
My previous game at Party went less well, but the important thing is that I played well. I went all-in over the top of a short stack who had gone all-in several times before without getting called. Unfortunately, this time he actually had a hand: JJ, and I only had 99. What is worse, the big stack in the big blind actually called with AKs and managed to make a flush... With a third nine, no less :-(
Well, onwards and upwards...
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Being Annoyed
It is not a good frame of mind to be playing poker. But I tell you, it is hard to avoid it. I'm playing badly and I know it, and on top of that I just cannot catch any breaks.
Several times today I got hands like AA, KK, QQ, AK, dutifully raised preflop and got zero callers. JUST ONE TIME I decide to limp with QQ UTG, an idiot with T7 (but they were sooooooted!) limps behind me and the flop comes J77. Obviously.
Through some kind of miracle, I actually managed to win a $5 game at Party, so that today was not a complete loss. But there was a lot to be annoyed about today. I managed to go out in 5th place in a Step 1 game twice (top four places pay) and once I even went out in 9th place, when a complete idiot with 52 called my flop raise on a flop of xx2, and got rewarded by another 2 on the turn. Finally I also managed to finish 7th in two more $5 games.
Once upon a time I won $700 at Party. I do not know how I did that.
Several times today I got hands like AA, KK, QQ, AK, dutifully raised preflop and got zero callers. JUST ONE TIME I decide to limp with QQ UTG, an idiot with T7 (but they were sooooooted!) limps behind me and the flop comes J77. Obviously.
Through some kind of miracle, I actually managed to win a $5 game at Party, so that today was not a complete loss. But there was a lot to be annoyed about today. I managed to go out in 5th place in a Step 1 game twice (top four places pay) and once I even went out in 9th place, when a complete idiot with 52 called my flop raise on a flop of xx2, and got rewarded by another 2 on the turn. Finally I also managed to finish 7th in two more $5 games.
Once upon a time I won $700 at Party. I do not know how I did that.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
More hours of fun for $3
And indeed, I did drop down back to Step 1... and then managed to go out in 3rd place in Step 1, earning me yet another Step 1 ticket. I am starting to hate these tickets.
Friday, September 21, 2007
A modest win
I returned to Party after being lured by a bonus, and joined two Step 1 games. I actually managed to win a Step 2 ticket...
It seems like a good idea to play for VERY low buy-ins for a while (Step 1 = $3). I also tried two $11 games earlier, but I just cannot win a race to win my life at the moment. Oh well, at least as long as I manage to place in these Steps games now, I will not have to pay again (I may drop down to Step 1 of course again).
It seems like a good idea to play for VERY low buy-ins for a while (Step 1 = $3). I also tried two $11 games earlier, but I just cannot win a race to win my life at the moment. Oh well, at least as long as I manage to place in these Steps games now, I will not have to pay again (I may drop down to Step 1 of course again).
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