Sunday 12 August 2007

APAT No Limit Hold Em Championship Main Event

148 entrants for this deep stack $50 freezeout. Top 18 paid with winner receiving $2,220.

Very quiet first hour, found some spots to gamble early on without sucess, generally playing rather tight and passive. Didn't lose a pot at showdown, but also failed to find a suitable spot to trap one of the 3 retards on my second table. My one effort led to AK being split against A4 on a 66228 board. Ended the first hour slightly up, building my 5,000 to 6,200 for a spot in the top 1/3.

Shortly after the break my progress was checked. Having raised the previous hand from the button to steal the blinds, my identical raise from the cut-off with 22 was met with two calls from the blinds. A flop of 9c 6h Js was checked round to see a beautiful 2s on the turn. The BB bet 450 into the pot of 1350, I reraised to 1350 and he called. He checked the river Qs, and correctly putting him on the flush, I checked behind to lose no more. The lost pot took me down to 4,300. Following that beat, I go card dead (not that I was particularly flush with good cards before), so sit back with the blinds just about manageable and look to pick my spots, though my patience is running thin as I'm dealt rubbish over and over again. Halfway through the second hour, antes come in, my stack drops below 4,000 and my M is just under 8.

Time for some aggression, a fairly new button raises to 700 with blinds 100/200/25. I find Ks7s and push all-in for 3,500, taking the pot and boosting my stack by 30%. The very next hand I lose 600, making a loose call of a raise on the button with AcTc. The raiser was a rock, so some quality donking off of chips when I inevitably miss the flop and fold to his c-bet.

I donk out in style soon after, picking up Kx suited on my SB several times in row leads me to decide to limp this hand and see a cheap flop if possible, but to reraise all-in if raised. When I eventually do it, I run Kd 4d into QQ. A flop of Qh Td 6d gives me hope, but a blank turn and the case Queen on the river knock me out in style. I have the consolation of knowing I probably would've taken a chance on the flop anyway, but it still wasn't the best move. Never got into this tournament, especially after the 22, finishing a poor 89th.

Saturday 11 August 2007

APAT No Limit Hold Em Heads Up Championship

Heads Up. I'm not really a fan if I'm honest, but I'm a sucker for poker action and hey, it's worth the most money in tournament play so practice is certainly no bad thing. 108 people are in for the 4th in APAT's online series. Top 16 pay, unfortunately I'm not one of the lucky 20 or so receiving byes into the next round.

Match 1:
Straight into the action on the big blind. Small blind...folds. So it's going to be like that is it? I hate matches like this and the need to be patient, taking 90% of pots whilst avoiding and pot where they bet unless you have a monster. I settle down for a long stint. I quickly discover minimum raises acheive what I want them to, so decide to minimum raise with my trash and continuation bet 1/2 pot regardless on the flop. After he folds his BB to my min raise with JJ, I'm now limping my big potential hands.

I take 4 of the first 6 pots no trouble, before I check my BB with Q7. We both check a T64 flop before I check, he bets pot and I call on turn 5. River is a blank and I bet 1/2 pot on the river and he flat calls, showing QT. A rock then.

The above strategy is firmly in play. A limped QQ takes down a pot on a flop of 88T as I win 15 of the next 16 pots, most pre-flop, losing my only one when I test to see if he folds to two bullets, check folding when a 3rd heart falls on the river after he check-calls flop and turn. Shock Horror, he takes two pots in a row before I pick up AA on my SB.

I complete the BB for 20. He raises to 60. I reraise to 140. He reraises to 300. I reraise to 640. He reraises to 1400 (surely some alarm bells must be ringing). I push all-in for 2620, expecting him to call with a big pair, and he does, with KK. A bit unlucky, but I did telegraph my hand to him. An 86JJ2 board make sure I'm the 5th person through.

Match 2:
The inevitable wait sees me unearth the diamond acoustic cover of Outkast's 'Hey Ya' by a fat, bearded bloke called Matt Weddle of an alt-rock band called Obadiah Parker. I loved the original, but this cover is even better.

The next opponent is far looser, but still fairly passive. The early spoils are shared as I see what he responds to. He seemingly calls down with below par hands as is proved by his calling down with 66 on a board 24Q8Q after I flat called his raise pre-flop with KK. I'm unable to exploit this weakness, as I'm continually dealt rubbish and can't hit a pair, let alone top pair. A couple of occasions I catch two pair and trips, both times he folds to my flop bet.

He's frustrating to play against, purely playing his cards and calling down with any pair, a couple of fortuitous rivers save his bottom pair with weak kicker, and I'm soon 2 to 1 down. I briefly retake the lead when my Qc9c hits a flush on a board of 2c 8s Kc Ks 6c. He calls my check-raise on the turn and pot sized bet on the river with JJ.

I give back the chip lead when I'm forced to lay down As6s on a 3d 7c Jd 2h in the face of an unusual bet from him and then I make a mistake with J6, hitting 2nd pair on the flop and paying off his bizarrely played TT when a K on the river leads me to believe he may have been counterfeited.

My plan finally comes to fruition when I raise with AsKs, he reraises and then calls my all-in with AhTh. I'd rather have set it on motion on the flop or later, but with the cards running pretty cold, I'm forced into a pre-flop all-in. It's heart in mouth time when the flop comes 5h 8h Js, a turn of 7d gives him 4 more outs but another 5 on the river gives me the 2 to 1 chip lead.

The end is in sight when I'm dealt AdAc the very next hand. I make a standard raise and am called. He raises my pot bet on a flop of Jd 5d Tc, I reraise all-in and he calls with 7d 4d, the 2d arrives on the turn and the river is no further help to me, as he regains all his chips lost in the previous hand.

The rising blinds force my hand and my aggressive play narrows the gap slightly. At blinds 50/100 I call his standard raise in the BB holding Kc Jd. The flop comes Ks 3s Th. I check, hoping he'll lead at it, but he checks behind. The turn brings the 9h, and I push all-in, hoping he'll make a dodgy call on a draw. He does, showing Ah6h, but the Ad on the river knocks me out in 46th place.

I've made a few mistakes, perhaps I should've lead at the final flop, but at the end of the day I've got my chips in at crucial points as a 66% and 72% favourite. Frustrating, but standard.

Wednesday 8 August 2007

APAT Razz Championship

More APAT, plus the shittest card game in the world, equals a tournament populated by 82 complete retards (can't really exclude myself here - in relation to most of this lot, I've just about dragged myself clear of the aquarium). Evidence can be provided by the player who, on his board of 3Q3 against my A72 proceeds to call two bets, catches two miracle cards for the nuts and FLAT CALLS my bet on the river. Give me strength, or a cash game against this muppet.

John Woodfield is also in the...erm...field, and he took 13th of 341 at the 2007 WSOP Razz event. Not too shabby.

I'm soon running in the top quarter, but hindered by numerous awkward hands like [Ks 2d] Ac which I feel compelled to at least see 4th street with. I also pick up dealt trip 3s and 4th street trip 10s, which is mildly irritating. Memo to Poker Gods: 3 days too late. After a run of brilliant stud hands, I somehow get paid off when calling the bring in, a raise, and then betting on every street with [4 5] 7 6 3 2. How it got to 6th street with my opponents showing Q 8 6 T (one of the chip leaders), and 5 Q 9 9 (earlier nuts muppet) - I have no freaking idea, but I sure feel good about my prospects. A short stint in 4th follows with a high point of 3,800 chips but a few dropped pots see me finish the first hour in 20th of the 81 left, holding just under 3,100.

Back to nuts retard from earlier. I limp with [A 2] 2, as does he, showing an A and giving away his non-premium under cards. The board eventually shows [A 2] 2 4 2 A [2] as I hit trips, then a boat, then quad 2s for the second time in a week. The board is scary though, so I bet it from 6th street, I'm somehow called by [8 5] A 4 K 8 [T] for 10-high. I resisted the temptation to curse in the chat box, but I now feel I must name and shame. pernille0, take a bow.

When the government decide on poker: skill or luck? They'd better not look at Razz.

The deck remains cold, but there's more donators here than at a charity convention, so a few hands and I will get paid off handsomely. Sadly, before my new found optimism comes to fruition, I'm moved tables. But fear not, Mr. Weak-Rock from Stud is here! Starts badly, buts I console myself by thinking that playing 3 card poker with my starting hands would be rather profitable. A straight-flush, two pairs,a flush and a straight in nine hands and I'm up £300 in my virtual life.

I'm shaken out of my daydreaming, as I realise the 2nd break is approaching and I'm on the way to becoming short stacked. A few pairs later, I limp to the break with 2,800. Stakes going up to 300/600/60 and I'm 32nd of 44.

Fortunately, this table actually has some respect for your upcards, and I rapidly move to 7,000. Then the deck returns cold, and I have a winless streak stretching for 23 hands, with a excruciating run of 11 hands where my upcard is 10 or greater before I finally take the antes when showing an Ace. It's hard going, whenever I pick up playable hands, the person to my right always seems to bring in, and everyone else has low upcards too, making my 1st position raise too risky. A 37% win rate when showing down isn't helping.

I donk off 2/3 of my chips when battling the bring in with a substandard hand, mine leading but failing to improve. I get away with it, however, raising with [3 4] 8, getting 3 callers, 5th street is kind, enabling me to thin the field, before Woodfield gives me maximum value, calling down whilst drawing dead. My 9-high beats his Q-high and I'm up to 11,000, but still just below the average with 17 left. He gets 4,000 back when calling my raise from his bring in. My [6 5] 3 looks good against his Q, but the board shafts me by 6th street. I enter the 3rd break with 8,200 chips. I'm 13th of 16, average 12,800 with stakes at 1000/2000/100.

Woodfield exited in 15th, and with the majority of short stacks finding hands I found myself 14th of 14, some way adrift. I find [7 4] 6 and raise in EP, two callers showing A and 8. 4th street brings J, K and 8 respectively and I'm going all the way. The AK folds and my [7 4] 6 J A 4 [K] is all-in on 6th street and rivered by [A 2] 8 8 J 6 [4] to send me to the rail in 13th, missing the money by 5 spots.

Razz is shit.

Monday 6 August 2007

APAT Stud Championship

The Amateur Poker Assocation and Tour have provided some excellent events, both online and live over the past few months. Unfortunately I've not been able to play many events during the first season, but am looking to significantly up the quota next season, starting in October. I went fairly deep in the Welsh Amateur Championship before a cold deck left me exiting in 59th of 200. Other than a couple of small online events, I made the decision to enter the grandly named APAT World Championship of Online Amateur Poker Stud Championship event. With some supposedly chunky medals up for grabs and a mere $20 entry fee, I decided to test my stud skill against 74 others.

The standard in many APAT events is generally weak-tight, a delicious combo, and so it proved in this event with many players playing purely for the ranking points on offer without any experience in the game, grossly overvaluing hands and playing for too passively. With little alarm my stack increased from 2500 to 3600 by the first break, knocking out the only player to fall in the first hour with trip Jacks. The second hour followed the pattern of the first, up to 4100 chips - 14th of 48 remaining.

First hand after the break I take a 1200 chip hit. Playing [Ts 9c] 8c 3c Jh 5s aggressively I'm forced to fold on 6th street against a 6d 6h 7c 7h board, he shows [8d 6c] for the full house. An unsuccessful raise takes me down to 2300, below my starting stack for the first time since beginning. Fortunately the presence of Mr. Weak-Rock enables me to bluff raise on 3rd and 4th street before 5th street pairs my open Ace and he scurries away in the face of aggression. With the aid of a flush a few hands later I'm back up to 4,000 with stakes at 300/600 and not much room for anybody to maneuver.

Halfway through the 3rd hour, getting anted away at 400/800, I raise with [4h Th] Jh. The player to my right (twice my stack) calls me with the only higher up card [Qh].

4th Street:
Me: [4h Th] Jh 2h
Him: [xx xx] Qh 4c

He checks, I bet 400, he calls.

5th Street:
Me: [4h Th] Jh 2h Qc
Him: [xx xx] Qh 4c Js

He checks, I bet 800, he calls. I put him on a draw or a weak hidden pair like 99 or TT (no re-raise on 3rd street)

6th Street:
Me: [4h Th] Jh 2h Qc 6c
Him: [xx xx] Qh 4c Js 3c

I bet 800, he calls. I know he's not in love with his hand, but I'm now left with 944 chips. I pick up Kd to miss my flush draw on the river, muster the courage to press 'bet 800', and he passes. Thank Christ for that.

More aggessive play from me gives me the chip lead. Bringing in with [3c 2h] 2s, it's folded around to a short-medium stack on my right who raises. I reraise and bet every street, hitting two pair on 6th street and eliminating him - who called all the way with [9h 6h] 4h Kc 5d 4d [Qs]. Shortly before the break, I attempt an ambitious mid-position steal with [6c 6s] 2d. I'm reraised by gulibert n2 with an Ad but decide to call, hitting my set on 4th street. I call here which enabled me to cap the betting on 5th street. He (eventual runner-up) check calls from thereon and my [6c 6s] 2d 6h 5d 3h [7c] crushes his [Tc Td] Ad Qd 7s 9c [4h]. I temporarily take the chip lead, and despite having my hidden JJ cracked by then 2nd places (eventual winner thetinkerman) rivered straight, I go into the 3rd break in 2nd of the 20 or so left with 22,000.

With 12 left I go on a rollercoaster hyper-aggressive streak. Hidden JJ turns into 2 pair against a new player to the table, but I give most back when forcing him in with [2h 7s] 2d against his [8c 8h] 7c when neither improves. I sadly waste a chance to double through the chip leader when raising once on 3rd street with [2h 2d] 2c. When the 2s falls on 4th street he folds his pair of Kings and the opportunity is gone. A few hands after we enter the final table and the money positions, I'm 5th of 8 with 24,000 chips. The standard has increased markedly, with the vast majority of hands being raised by the highest upcard. No more easy chips!

I cripple gulibert n2 again when he opens the pot with a bet with [Ks Kd] 2d. I call with [3d Ad] Jd. I eventually hit runner-runner-runner-runner full house with [3d Ad] Jd 3s Td Th [3h], (check calling 4th and 5th, both checking 6th and him check-calling the river), beating his [Ks Kd] 2c 8d 4s 5c [Tc] for a pot worth over 20k. I take the chiplead once more shortly but lose it when I fold my [Kc Kd] Ad 2d 5h against thetinkerman Js 8d Jh (two other Aces showing and a 3rd street raise from the Js). I recover with [Ts 8s] Th 9h 7c Kd [6c] v the aggressive Prieure's [As 4d] Qh 3d 6h 7s [Qs] (he 3 bets 3rd street and I call 4th and 5th, both check 6th and I bet river, he calls). gulibert n2 gets some revenge when my KK is beaten by his 6th street straight. We're soon 4 handed, and my 24,400 is half the amount of 3rd, but my favourite play of the night changes that. I bring in with [7d 6h] 4d, thetinkerman raises yet again with the 9d.

4th Street:
Me: [7d 6h] 4d Kh
Him: [xx xx] 9d Qs

I check, he bets, I raise, he calls. I've now got control and I'm going all the way!

5th Street/6th Street:
Me: [7d 6h] 4d Kh As 4c
Him: [xx xx] 9d Qs 2c 6s

I bet out both streets and he passes on 6th street, with me having just 3,000 chips left.

The play is to no avail though, despite Prieure throwing away a strong position. He's far too aggressive with a weak pair and draw and drops to 10k. I'm a solid 3rd with 38k, and the other two have around 70k. I make my first big mistake of the tournament, and it costs me a medal.

3rd street:
gulibert [xx xx] 5d
Me [3d 9h] 9d
Prieure [xx xx] 6c

gulibert n2 opens with raise, not bring in. Alarm bells should be ringing, but I reraise and Prieure moves all-in. gulibert reraises and I call.

4th street:
gul [xx xx] 5d 8s
Me [3d 9h] 9d 3h
Pri [xx xx] 6c Kh

I should be wary, but with Prieure all-in, I felt I was strong and guaranteed 3rd with a great chance to get in contention. gulibert checks, I bet and he calls.

5th street/6th street/river
gul [xx xx] 5d 8s 8h 7d [xx]
Me [3d 9h] 9d 3h 7s 8c [7c]
Pri [xx xx] 6c Kh 4d 5s [xx]

With blockers all over the shop I call all the way down, putting gulibert on a weaker 2 pair. I should've known better. He shows [Qd Qh] [9s] for a better two pair, whilst in a nightmare scenario, Prieure shows [Ad As] [5c] for the highest two pair on the river. I didn't bank on two hidden pairs, and I'm left with a shade over 6,000. I am out the very next hand.

Disappointing, but I would've taken 4th before the tournament. At least I've proved to myself I can play Stud to a reasonable standard. I took $150 and 6 irrelevant ranking points (only played 4 events this season of around 40 odd!) for 4th place, and am looking forward to the Razz event on Wednesday, followed by NL Hold Em at the weekend.

First Post

I've been planning a poker blog for some time. If no-one ever reads it apart from me...well, that's not really going to bother me too much.

Having started playing a little poker (badly) 3 years ago, I've eventually graduated to a point where I feel I can make some serious money from the game. During university I've always found enough money to enter local tournaments and win enough to support myself. I've never given cash a serious go and as for my bankroll - I've never really had one!

Now full-time studying is over, I aim to invest approximately $2,000 into online cash under stringent bankroll management conditions. In theory, if I can beat the levels I play at, I stand a minimal chance of ever going broke.

I'm a No-Limit Hold 'Em specialist, but proficient at other limits and disciplines. Primarily a live player, but the money is there to be made online. In the past year I've made $10,000 profit from largely live play.

Notable results include a runner up spot in a national student poker championships. After dominating the final table, the structure did not reward my aggressive play, and the poker gods deserted me in the crapshoot that was heads-up play. This is still my largest cash. I have cashed at a UK festival event (via a bubble deal sadly, so the aim of getting my name onto the Hendon Mob database will have to wait) and taken down a good mid-stakes event on Pokerstars, good for over $2,600.