So that's it, I'm quitting. My final bankroll at Full Tilt was $770, after taking out $750 earlier (and depositing only $50 in January!). I did not check yet how much I won in total by playing poker, but it most be something like $3300. Too bad the dollar is so low at the moment! Still, I'd better cash out before it drops even further...
Probably I will only post in the future when I play live somewhere, if anything interesting happens.
Thank you for your attention. Any questions?
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
$22 seems to be the sweet spot
I have now played twenty $33 games, but I was fortunate to win the last one and bring my ROI up to "only" minus 10%... It seems that there really are more people that know what they are doing at this level. Of course, this is based on a relatively small sample, but some of the chats were also quite insightful. Guess I will stick with the $22 games, if I get around to playing a few more before we move, that is...
About those $22 games, I suppose that an ROI of 55% cannot be maintained over the long run. Still, I have played 45 such games now, and I have also played 61 games at Pacific Poker earlier, where I maintained an ROI of 31%.
This means that I am now maintaining an ROI of about 40% in $20-22 games for over 100 games already. Of course that is still not statistically significant, though you can probably say with some certainty that I am a winning player at this level. (It has been a long time since I did some actual statistics...)
About those $22 games, I suppose that an ROI of 55% cannot be maintained over the long run. Still, I have played 45 such games now, and I have also played 61 games at Pacific Poker earlier, where I maintained an ROI of 31%.
This means that I am now maintaining an ROI of about 40% in $20-22 games for over 100 games already. Of course that is still not statistically significant, though you can probably say with some certainty that I am a winning player at this level. (It has been a long time since I did some actual statistics...)
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Well, that didn't last long...
An hour and ten minutes, to be precise. But I played OK. Not great, but OK.
FTP $240 + $16
There are 1637 participants, top 162 gets paid. First place is $70391.
Tried to qualify for this tournament by playing a SNG, but finished 3rd. Still, that did pay $40 net.
Early on, flop a set with 44 and manage to eliminate an extremely short stack: this immediately earns me $40! So even if I get eliminated on the next hand, it has cost me "only" $176 to play.
I bet out 2/3 of the pot with my set because there were 2 diamonds on the flop. One opponent folded after some thought, and the turn was a diamond. I wonder if he was on a flush draw...
Anyway, stack now 3536, average is 3256 :-) I should enjoy having an above average stack while it lasts! There are 1508 players remaining after 22 minutes. Wow, it is really going slowly with eliminations!
Fold A5o as BB to an MP raise. Then lose a blinds confrontation: 3446.
185 players gone after half an hour. This is going to be a long night, if I survive that long!
Stack 3406 after paying the BB, average stack 3402!
Try to make a move in MP which backfires completely. 2866.
Got moved to a new table. Time to run sharkscope again.
Try a steal in cutoff with K6s, success. Then get AKo! Raise to 200 after a limper. He calls after long thought and also calls my c-bet, damnit. With second pair. Beats me! Down to 2416 now. That's how fast you can lose 1000 chips... he had A9.
AK as SB. Raise to 250 when my finger slips, BB folds. Oh well. (BB's stats are still 0/0/0/0 after 13 hands...)
A9 as BB. Get a free ride! Fine by me...
I am 986th out of 1251 remaining. Could be better. Now 971st out of 1238 :-)
It really is going to be quite some time to even reach the money spots...
BREAK 1: 2326 chips. Blinds will be 40/80, so my M is still 19. 1157 players remain, so nearly 500 players have been eliminated in the first hour: not even a third!
Let's hope another 500 leave in the second hour - at least!
JJ as BB, very nice. SB raises after long thought. With AT, it turns out. I reraise him, he pushes, I call, he flops TWO ACES. Not just one mind you, but two. As if to emphasize. Oh well.......
FTP $240 + $16
There are 1637 participants, top 162 gets paid. First place is $70391.
Tried to qualify for this tournament by playing a SNG, but finished 3rd. Still, that did pay $40 net.
Early on, flop a set with 44 and manage to eliminate an extremely short stack: this immediately earns me $40! So even if I get eliminated on the next hand, it has cost me "only" $176 to play.
I bet out 2/3 of the pot with my set because there were 2 diamonds on the flop. One opponent folded after some thought, and the turn was a diamond. I wonder if he was on a flush draw...
Anyway, stack now 3536, average is 3256 :-) I should enjoy having an above average stack while it lasts! There are 1508 players remaining after 22 minutes. Wow, it is really going slowly with eliminations!
Fold A5o as BB to an MP raise. Then lose a blinds confrontation: 3446.
185 players gone after half an hour. This is going to be a long night, if I survive that long!
Stack 3406 after paying the BB, average stack 3402!
Try to make a move in MP which backfires completely. 2866.
Got moved to a new table. Time to run sharkscope again.
Try a steal in cutoff with K6s, success. Then get AKo! Raise to 200 after a limper. He calls after long thought and also calls my c-bet, damnit. With second pair. Beats me! Down to 2416 now. That's how fast you can lose 1000 chips... he had A9.
AK as SB. Raise to 250 when my finger slips, BB folds. Oh well. (BB's stats are still 0/0/0/0 after 13 hands...)
A9 as BB. Get a free ride! Fine by me...
I am 986th out of 1251 remaining. Could be better. Now 971st out of 1238 :-)
It really is going to be quite some time to even reach the money spots...
BREAK 1: 2326 chips. Blinds will be 40/80, so my M is still 19. 1157 players remain, so nearly 500 players have been eliminated in the first hour: not even a third!
Let's hope another 500 leave in the second hour - at least!
JJ as BB, very nice. SB raises after long thought. With AT, it turns out. I reraise him, he pushes, I call, he flops TWO ACES. Not just one mind you, but two. As if to emphasize. Oh well.......
The $75 game
Buyin was $69 plus $6 rake, so $75 in total. It was a SNG with 45 players, top 6 would get paid.
KQo as BB does not pay off; I call a minraise but have to fold to a potsized c-bet with only an oesd. Later I raise 88, BB calls but fortunately folds to my c-bet on a KKQ-flop (I was not too happy about betting here, but I had to try it). This put me back to my starting stack of 1500.
A round later I get a free round as BB, the first of what would turn out to be quite many free rides... The blinds are up to 40/80 now and my first steal (QTo in MP) works out: again 1500.
I survive an early scare when the SB calls my steal attempt with T2 (hey, I was the button!) but folds to my c-bet on an AJ9 flop. Here I used the fact that from his perspective, my most likely high card was an Ace. Losing this pot would have put me down to 765, but now I had 1645. It could have been a pretty short tournament for me!
A round later, I pick up A6 in 2nd position (out of 7). The blinds are already 60/120, my stack is 1500 and I decide to just push here - my M was only a little over 8. Fortunately all fold.
A funny hand as BB: we check a hand down until the river gives me a single, lowly pair and the SB minbets. I call and it turns out we both have K5 in our hands, so we share the pot!
Steal with JTs OTB by pushing my 1675 chips: 1855. The next time I am BB, I pick up my first premium hand: AQo. But it is folded around to me! The second free ride, but I was not too happy about this one.
Another round later, I have my first preflop all-in confrontation when I push T9 OTB and get called by a short stack with QTs. Losing this would have cost me half my stack. The board: J 8 J (giving me an open ended straight draw) Q (bingo... quite a cruel card here) 4. Now I have 2600, but this is still well below average at this point. It puts me in about the middle of the field.
Since everybody saw my cards, I decide to lay low for a couple of hands. But when I pick up A8 three hands later in 2nd position out of 6, I decide to do a standard threebet, which works: 2835. A round and a half later, I am UTG and pick up JTs again. There are again 6 players at the table, blinds are 100/200 and my stack is 2500, so my M is again a little over 8. I decide to push and all fold. The blinds actually go up to 120/240 on the very next hand, so my M was actually only 7.
My first race of the tournament occurs when I pick up JJ as SB and the button pushes with AQo. The board is 8 10 10 10 2 and my opponent has 147 chips left after this debacle. (Nevertheless, he would go on to finish in the money! In fact, he would remain seated to my immediate right and gave me quite a few free rides later.
On the very next hand, he beats K9 with A3 on a K3x flop and a 3 turn. Two hands after that he beats ATo with KTs (K on flop). The hand after that he pushes UTG and all fold! He now has 1600 again (blinds 120/240). THEN he gets AK as BB and doubles up when AQ pushes: 3400! The next time he is BB after this, he has AQ and beats JJ from the button: 7000. It was quite astonishing to watch this.)
Meanwhile I was just staying quiet, because I was not getting any cards, so I had slowly dropped to 4770 by this time. I then raised first in as SB with A5 and was not very happy to see the BB flat call. The flop came 3 4 7. I deemed this unlikely to have hit my opponent and pushed my remaining 4k into the 2k stack: he folded. (The blinds were 150/300 by this time.)
On the next hand, I called a raise myself with AQo, but missed the flop: 5k. I then got JJ in 2nd position (out of 6) and raised to 1000. The next player pushed and I had to call: my second race! Board 9 5 3 6 10 and now I had 10k... This was clearly above average and put me in the top 3 of about 12 players remaining.
I lose quite a bit of this stack a few hands later however, when my opponent refuses to fold to my steal as well as to my c-bet: 7700 chips left. Next time I am BB, I pick up 55. Only the button calls for 400, I make it 2000 to go and he folds. I pick up 55 on the next hand as well. This time I decide to just limp in, the flop is Q44 but the BB bets out before I get a chance. I wisely fold but the SB raises! Phew...
I raise with ATs against the same player who refused to fold before, this time he fortunately wisens up and folds immediately: 8500. With this, I reached the final table, which I reported on before (see earlier post).
One day profit: $900
Yesterday I had my best day ever, poker-wise. My profit was larger than that of my third and fourth best month, combined! This is now the third month in which I have made a net profit of over $700. And it did not even start off that well...
(For the record, I have had 5 losing months, with a total loss during those months of $238.53. My most recent losing month was December. My profit in 2008 is already larger than it was in the entire year 2007... In the last two months (i.e., since January 15th), I have doubled my total winnings! Did you notice that I love numbers?)
- Two losses in $33 games: -$72 (rake 2x$3)
- Two wins in $22 games: +$150
- Second place in $69+6 MTT (45 players): +$701.25
- Two third places in $33 games that I played during this MTT: +$46.80
- TOTAL: $926.05
(For the record, I have had 5 losing months, with a total loss during those months of $238.53. My most recent losing month was December. My profit in 2008 is already larger than it was in the entire year 2007... In the last two months (i.e., since January 15th), I have doubled my total winnings! Did you notice that I love numbers?)
Saturday, March 15, 2008
One card away from another MTT win
I was THIS close to taking down a $69+6 game at Full Tilt with 45 players... But the river killed me and I lost on the next hand. Still, a nice payout. First place would have brought me about $350 more.
FTP $69, FINAL TABLE
Stack nearly 8K, blinds 250/500, M=10.5. Am in third position of 9 players remaining...
55 as BB. Not going to go crazy here... SB first in raises to 1555. I push, he folds. Yeah. 9k now.
Limp as SB, fold to push. Still 9k.
I am now in SECOND position!!!! Very nice... Should be able to fold into the money here, but want to see how high I can get. First prize is over 1k. Eight players left now.
KK in 3rd pos. raise to 1800 = 3BB, all fold. 10k!! This is really amazing... Average stack is 8k, number 1 has 19k. Smallest stack has 2k.
The player to my immediate right came back from 147 chips, I nearly eliminated him earlier. Quite amazing, he now has 7k!
AT as SB. Raise to 2400, BB calls!(!) Low flop, I push, he folds. 11641 chips now...
ATs in hijack! Exact same hand as before, hearts. I raise to 3BB, all fold. 12541 chips... Still 8 players left.
AKo in 2nd position... Raise to 3BB... all fold. 13441 chips. People seem to be very afraid of me. GOOD.
AQs as SB! First in, raise to put BB all-in, he folds. 14641 chips. He now is the shortest stack with 1620 chips.
I sure am getting some monster cards here... must make the most of this.
Showdown, short stack wins. Blinds now 400/800, so my M is 12. Still easily in 2nd position, 3rd position has only 7k!
Shorty just doubled up. Four people with stack between 4k and 5500 now.
66 as BB... ANOTHER free round! Amazing. Is Diddy afraid of me? He is a shark!
The top stack is not doing anything, just remaining constant at 20k.
Showdown, 7 players left now: THE BUBBLE.
Try a steal with J9o OTB, success. 15841 chips now. Am closing in on the chip leader!
Four people between 6400 and 5500 now (5500 is lowest stack).
Blinds up to 500/1000, finally we are getting somewhere. Another showdown, shorty wins by making runner-runner two pair against QQ... Loser is left with 1455 chips.
My M is 10. QJo as SB. Button raises, I fold.
ATo as button! Fold after UTG limps.
Shorty pushes, he was going to be blinded out in 3 hands. SB calls. BB as well, good. SB pushes on flop! But loses!! Shorty makes a flush on the river... and immediately pushes the next hand UTG. No callers.
Lose against shorty in triple showdown. Put BB all-in as SB, he folds. 14k.
Blinds now 1200/600, my M is 7 or so. Still in 2nd position, but only barely now!
AM in FIRST position in the very brief period between a showdown and my paying the big blind :-)
IN THE MONEY!!!
Raise OTB with A3o. Blinds fold. 15547 chips. Back in first place. Very nice. Raise again with A8o in 2nd pos, all fold. 17k!!!!
Wow, triple showdown: AK- AT- 99. AK wins, he had the shortest stack, no eliminations.
Five players left. Payout $186 assured.
Blinds now 800/1600, steal OTB and in hijack: 19k! M=7 or so. First position again!
For a little while. No, again.
Wow. I manage to river a straight as BB. 21k.
Raise OTB with A6o. BB calls with AJo, I flop 665....... Now I have 29k!!!!!
Four players left, I am clearly in first position. Payout $300 assured.
Blinds now 2k/1k, M=10...
Staying about constant at 29k. Oops, steal fails: 16k.
Showdown! Short stack loses, payout $500!!
ANOTHER SHOWDOWN!!! HEADS UP!!!!
Equal stacks after a while.
Lose a big pot: 20k vs 40k.
JJ as SB, limp-push. He has A8 and I win. Now stacks are reversed!
Lose all-in AT vs KJ, river is J...
Payout $776.25. Not bad for two hour's work.
FTP $69, FINAL TABLE
Stack nearly 8K, blinds 250/500, M=10.5. Am in third position of 9 players remaining...
55 as BB. Not going to go crazy here... SB first in raises to 1555. I push, he folds. Yeah. 9k now.
Limp as SB, fold to push. Still 9k.
I am now in SECOND position!!!! Very nice... Should be able to fold into the money here, but want to see how high I can get. First prize is over 1k. Eight players left now.
KK in 3rd pos. raise to 1800 = 3BB, all fold. 10k!! This is really amazing... Average stack is 8k, number 1 has 19k. Smallest stack has 2k.
The player to my immediate right came back from 147 chips, I nearly eliminated him earlier. Quite amazing, he now has 7k!
AT as SB. Raise to 2400, BB calls!(!) Low flop, I push, he folds. 11641 chips now...
ATs in hijack! Exact same hand as before, hearts. I raise to 3BB, all fold. 12541 chips... Still 8 players left.
AKo in 2nd position... Raise to 3BB... all fold. 13441 chips. People seem to be very afraid of me. GOOD.
AQs as SB! First in, raise to put BB all-in, he folds. 14641 chips. He now is the shortest stack with 1620 chips.
I sure am getting some monster cards here... must make the most of this.
Showdown, short stack wins. Blinds now 400/800, so my M is 12. Still easily in 2nd position, 3rd position has only 7k!
Shorty just doubled up. Four people with stack between 4k and 5500 now.
66 as BB... ANOTHER free round! Amazing. Is Diddy afraid of me? He is a shark!
The top stack is not doing anything, just remaining constant at 20k.
Showdown, 7 players left now: THE BUBBLE.
Try a steal with J9o OTB, success. 15841 chips now. Am closing in on the chip leader!
Four people between 6400 and 5500 now (5500 is lowest stack).
Blinds up to 500/1000, finally we are getting somewhere. Another showdown, shorty wins by making runner-runner two pair against QQ... Loser is left with 1455 chips.
My M is 10. QJo as SB. Button raises, I fold.
ATo as button! Fold after UTG limps.
Shorty pushes, he was going to be blinded out in 3 hands. SB calls. BB as well, good. SB pushes on flop! But loses!! Shorty makes a flush on the river... and immediately pushes the next hand UTG. No callers.
Lose against shorty in triple showdown. Put BB all-in as SB, he folds. 14k.
Blinds now 1200/600, my M is 7 or so. Still in 2nd position, but only barely now!
AM in FIRST position in the very brief period between a showdown and my paying the big blind :-)
IN THE MONEY!!!
Raise OTB with A3o. Blinds fold. 15547 chips. Back in first place. Very nice. Raise again with A8o in 2nd pos, all fold. 17k!!!!
Wow, triple showdown: AK- AT- 99. AK wins, he had the shortest stack, no eliminations.
Five players left. Payout $186 assured.
Blinds now 800/1600, steal OTB and in hijack: 19k! M=7 or so. First position again!
For a little while. No, again.
Wow. I manage to river a straight as BB. 21k.
Raise OTB with A6o. BB calls with AJo, I flop 665....... Now I have 29k!!!!!
Four players left, I am clearly in first position. Payout $300 assured.
Blinds now 2k/1k, M=10...
Staying about constant at 29k. Oops, steal fails: 16k.
Showdown! Short stack loses, payout $500!!
ANOTHER SHOWDOWN!!! HEADS UP!!!!
Equal stacks after a while.
Lose a big pot: 20k vs 40k.
JJ as SB, limp-push. He has A8 and I win. Now stacks are reversed!
Lose all-in AT vs KJ, river is J...
Payout $776.25. Not bad for two hour's work.
More of the same
I managed to win two simultaneous turbo games again :-) This brought my return on investment for the $22 games back up to 57%, very nice. Since such a game usually lasts about 35 minutes (less if I lose early!), this means that on average I earn about $12 in 35 minutes, or about $20 per hour. However, since I usually play two games in parallel, this comes to $40 per hour. That is not a bad hourly wage, especially since there are no taxes on it...
Nice to know that I have something to fall back on if things do not work out career-wise :-)
On the negative side, I tried two $33 games this morning and finished out of the money in both. One of them involved losing with QQ against 77 (all-in preflop), so I do not feel too bad about this.
I also managed to cash in a $50 MTT - I went out in 27th place, and 27 places got paid, so I earned exactly $7.70 for those three hours of work :-) Still, this marks the highest ever buyin of a tournament where I managed to cash. I still need to see if I could manage to play a $100 game, but they seem to be quite rare.
PS Another nice statistic: according to PokerOffice, I am now making a profit in every position apart from the big blind. Usually of course, the blinds are losing positions. By far the largest profit comes from the button (which is no surprise), but the second largest profit actually comes from under the gun! I was quite amazed to see that.
Nice to know that I have something to fall back on if things do not work out career-wise :-)
On the negative side, I tried two $33 games this morning and finished out of the money in both. One of them involved losing with QQ against 77 (all-in preflop), so I do not feel too bad about this.
I also managed to cash in a $50 MTT - I went out in 27th place, and 27 places got paid, so I earned exactly $7.70 for those three hours of work :-) Still, this marks the highest ever buyin of a tournament where I managed to cash. I still need to see if I could manage to play a $100 game, but they seem to be quite rare.
PS Another nice statistic: according to PokerOffice, I am now making a profit in every position apart from the big blind. Usually of course, the blinds are losing positions. By far the largest profit comes from the button (which is no surprise), but the second largest profit actually comes from under the gun! I was quite amazed to see that.
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