Poker Session Entries with Recent Comments

Below is a list of blog entries that other users have recently commented on. Feel free to add a comment of your own. This will help everyone in the poker community to become better poker players.

From the Poker Blog for EightFive

July 20, 2008, 6PM:
WSOP Fantasy League Update

**Edit**I changed the date on this so that when the WSOP rolls around I don't have to go find this log.
 
RyanMo6707 and I have drafted our teams.  Overall I like my team.  Ryan probably has a little more well-rounded team when it comes to different games, but a few of them don't play a very full schedule of tournaments.
 
My Team--------------------RyanMo6707's Team
 
Daniel Negreanu------------Phil Ivey
Phil Hellmuth--------------Allen Cunningham
Chris Ferguson-------------Erik Seidel
JC Tran--------------------Johnny Chan
Barry Greenstein-----------Gus Hansen
Michael Binger-------------Scott Fischman
Mike Matusow---------------Scotty Nguyen
Scott Clements-------------Howard Lederer
Erik Lindgren--------------Michael Mizrachi
Jonathan Little------------Huck Seed
 
I think my team has an edge in NL Holdem, because a lot of the guys will play more events and play them better.  Also, if I was torn before a few guys, I went with the guy I would like to root for the most.  That will make the 6 week sweat (or however long it is these days) that much more fun to follow.  Just over a month and I will hopefully have a points lead to post!

Last Update: May 11, 2008, 9:39PM | Permalink (20 Comments)

From the Poker Blog for DeiYuo

June 8, 2008, 6PM: Played 9 hours, Lost $570.00 at Casino San Pablo
$6/12 Texas Hold'em

Less then 3 racks lost for a 3/6 chip game..
 
Bad but not terrible, frustrating as all hell.
 
Had every player pegged.  Was cold as ice.. fold fold fold fold.. then pick up a hand, get it crushed, back to fold fold fold, pick up a hand.. miss, fold fold fold.. this cycle never ended the whole session until I "fabricated a rush".
 
Was frustrated, the typical hand taking down pots was 82s or J3 off etc.. so on the button I limped with 79s.. the BB raised, 7 callers, I 3 bet, gets capped, flop a str8 draw and flush draw and I never missed a bet or raise.. turn brick and I still capped it.. nailed the river to scoop a big pot.. I proceeded to play the next 3 hands in a row like this, never backing off, until I finally lost the 4th hand. 
 
This was very out of playing character for my table image but I didn't give a shit at this point.  The 2nd and 3rd hands that won were 94 off, which made trips on a flop of QJ9 turn 9 river x and Q2s with flop of K39 two diamonds turn a diamond for flush.
 
After this BS rush I returned to being cold as ice.. in retrospect this *should have* been the time to get up and take my small loss of $200ish.
 
Frustrating that no matter what I did or how well you played nothing would work, but it happens.

Last Update: June 8, 2008, 6:41PM | Permalink (2 Comments)

From the Poker Blog for grlg

May 30, 2008, 10PM:
WSOP

Ok my fellow OPL'rs, i am heading to vegas in a couple of days for my WSOP, I have 2 events to play a 2k NLHE and I think I will play the ladies event for 1k, I am also going to play a couple of the deepstack tourneys at the venetian and cesears.
 
So wish me luck guys and hopefully my next posts will be six figures.......

Last Update: May 30, 2008, 10:16PM | Permalink (5 Comments)

From the Poker Blog for pflyers1809

May 29, 2008, 12PM:
Deposit Processed

Depositing money on to Cake Poker can be painful. They do not give players from the United States many options to deposit. My debit card was declined, so I had to deposit using my checking account though eWalletXpress. I thought it would be instant, but I had to wait for the vendor to make a withdrawal from my checking account before it appeared in my account and I could transfer it onto Cake Poker. I started this on Monday, and finally, 3 days later, my starting bankroll of $100 is on Cake.

Last Update: June 2, 2008, 4:20PM | Permalink (1 Comment)

From the Poker Blog for hammerman

June 4, 2008, 6PM: Played 1 hour, 30 minutes, Made $9.66 at PS
$5 Buy-In No-Limit Texas Hold'em Tournament (71st out of 674 Players)

The following conversation happens just after I win the first round.  I was short the whole way and didn't get in a hurry.  I waited and knew I could take advantage of them later on.  Here is the hand and then the conversation.
 
PokerStars Game #17921523585: Tournament #90360553, $5.00+$0.50 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level VIII (150/300) - 2008/06/04 - 21:47:42 (ET)
Table '90360553 65' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: throwfar76 (7128 in chips)
Seat 3: Hardmania (4872 in chips)
throwfar76: posts the ante 25
Hardmania: posts the ante 25
throwfar76: posts small blind 150
Hardmania: posts big blind 300
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to throwfar76 [4s 4c]
throwfar76: raises 600 to 900
Hardmania: raises 2100 to 3000
throwfar76: calls 2100
*** FLOP *** [Ad 8c 2d]
Hardmania: bets 1500
throwfar76: raises 1500 to 3000
Hardmania said, "piss off"
Hardmania: calls 347 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (1153) returned to throwfar76
*** TURN *** [Ad 8c 2d] [7c]
*** RIVER *** [Ad 8c 2d 7c] [Qc]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Hardmania: shows [2c Kh] (a pair of Deuces)
throwfar76: shows [4s 4c] (a pair of Fours)
throwfar76 collected 9744 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 9744 | Rake 0
Board [Ad 8c 2d 7c Qc]
Seat 1: throwfar76 (button) (small blind) showed [4s 4c] and won (9744) with a pair of Fours
Seat 3: Hardmania (big blind) showed [2c Kh] and lost with a pair of Deuces
 
Hardmania [observer]: how an u all with 44 donk?
Hardmania [observer]: 58 hit a str8! ur farking blessed
Hardmania [observer]: not fair not right and u don't deserve it
Hardmania [observer]: I hope you choke dog and I hate you
throwfar76: have a good night
Hardmania [observer]: you have to agree that is is bullsh1t?
Hardmania [observer]: I outplayed you severely and you just got luky
throwfar76: I didn't think you had an ace and I was right
Hardmania [observer]: you were a massive short stack and hit miracle cards
throwfar76: when I got free cards I took advantage of them
Hardmania [observer]: I could've had pp or an 8
Hardmania [observer]: lucky and dumb guess
throwfar76: I didn't put you on anything, i was surprised to see you had a pair at all
Hardmania [observer]: you were obviously wrong
Hardmania [observer]: 44 and u call all in? Why would I bet if I had nothing? I had a gr8 table image and you just call all in?
Hardmania [observer]: What's worse is that you call a raise to 3000 and then guess I have nothing on flop. What were you thinking? Obviously you were only playing your 44
throwfar76: Obviously I am an idiot, you are amazing and I just got lucky
Hardmania [observer]: thanks so much, I feel so much better now....NOT
Hardmania [observer]: Plus don't forget I had you all in and you hit a Q on the turn to win a big pot and save your arse. Remember that hand? Don't suppose you do
Hardmania [observer]: That was a suckout
Hardmania [observer]: memory failing you?
throwfar76: No, just bored with your whining
 
 
All I can say is I just didn't believe he had an ace or eight.  When I put my chips in I was confident I had the best hand. I'll admit that I don't take great notes on people, but I do observed them.  Also, seeing what he had played pre for the tourney, I had basically committed myself to the hand in my head preflop.  If he had not pushed, I would have.
 
BTW, the QJ he spoke of was when I had about 7 BB left and the flop was 345 with two spades and I was suited spades.  I think it was a no brainer.
 
Anyway, now I am waiting to play the second round.
 
Lost with AK in bb to AQ.

Last Update: June 4, 2008, 7:27PM | Permalink (10 Comments)

From the Poker Blog for DeiYuo

June 5, 2008, 5PM: Played 6 hours, Made $135.00 at Casino San Pablo
$6/12 Texas Hold'em

Upon following the maniac chick (who if sitting on her left she exposed one or more of her cards, would chase down any pair, any draw, even gutshots).
 
I found myself in an interesting game.  One of those, "we are all agro pre tight games".  That is to say, NO ONE limped pre-flop EVER, the 1st one in always raised.  Everyone carried themeselves as if they were pros.  I felt like I was in a 15/30-20/40 game back in the day at the Bellagio.  Calling was not an option either.  Everyone seemed like they had an ego or reputation to uphold amungst eachother.
 
There were 3 weak spots, besides the calling station chick I followed (who had taked severve black jack losses and was pushing poker like a craps table to get even - I witnessed this as she came to my 1st table) There was a wanna-be player on my right (would be aggressive in all the wrong spots, complain about beats that wern't beats, would shut down his tempo on the turn and expose his true hand strenth) and then the last weak player was on his right ( two to my right ) who played too many hands pre, such as any Axs or Kxs, any two face cards and any pair regardless of cost or position.
 
On my left was a dealer/wanna be player who could not fold a strong pre hand post and starting hand requirements pre was too tight.  Then on his left a versitile pro prop (one who knows all the players and adjusts HIS starting hands to those that entered the pot/are in the blinds) Then on his left a... how do I decribe her style... potentially extremely great player but just fucked the turn card up and fell apart there.  Her problem with this was she LOVED to check raise or raise the turn, too much.  This was a problem because she would sacrafice flop information by not betting or raising the flop and chose to do so only on the turn.  Which, when she was wrong, this cost her lots of chips as she would not dump the hand when 3 bet and call down.  This was so predicitbale behavior that I could check raise her on the flop and then check raise her again on the turn or even bet out on the turn knowing she would raise allowing me to 3-bet.
 
Then on her left was an "X-pro" that played way under his bankroll who did not give a shit. He was an action junky who was passing the time.  He would raise stab at pots to iso the bettor if he thought he was weak, would float steal pots and would open for raises pre to pick up the blinds.  He kept the game in motion.
 
Lastly was a decent prop I'd been playing with over the past 10 years.  His only weakness was checking monsters too much in early position post.. shit, one hand he checked the nuts on the flop 3 times trying to enduce bets :)
 
Then me.. my weakness the 1st hour was learning all this information and in the process got a few hands picked off because I was not pushing the right people out of hands.  I also ended up being the "gas station for the suckers" on a handful of nice pots, you know, the hand where you flop top pair or better and the donk never misses a bet or a raise with a 6 high flush draw and no pair :)
 
Once settled things started going my way and then the crew I had analyzed all went away to be replaced by daytime players.  Business guy in suit ramming the game an hour before work, retired donks griding off of soc sec money etc.
 
I had a $300+ win in this game at my peak, came down to the $135 and decided with the long sessions and swings this small win would be fine.  Winning another pot would not change things for me but losing one would be devastating to the time I had put in. 
 
It was time to go.
 
I normally don't go through all the player profiles/types but since playing online like a nut there is something so refreshing and simple about sitting with real people.  Everytime I learned something about a player I mentaly "opened the note box" on them and inserted information.
 
Though long winded I hope some of you read through this.  I can't explain how much knowing your opponents helps.
 
Live is awesome.

Last Update: June 5, 2008, 6:00PM | Permalink (2 Comments)

From the Poker Blog for EightFive

June 6, 2008, 12AM: Lost $1.00 at Full Tilt
$1 Buy-In No-Limit Texas Hold'em Tournament (182nd out of 873 Players)

3 limps...i'm in bb with T9 and 11xbb...had been playing pretty tight.....i shove...first of the three limpers calls for half his stack with QJ.....2 big stacks behind him and praying for a race....bad call, not to mention that from his end he is limping with a hand that he is willing to call off 50% of his chips with....these are the plays that allow my donkass to be +EV in these tourneys but god it gets sickening sometimes
 
bad night, frustrated...could have played a little better but whatever...will be back tomorrow

Last Update: June 6, 2008, 12:19AM | Permalink (1 Comment)

From the Poker Blog for EightFive

June 5, 2008, 3PM: Played 45 minutes, Made $1.00 at Full Tilt
$0.05/0.10 Texas Hold'em

6 Max, Deep Stacked, .05-.10, 76 hands
 
I was stuck about $11 early after getting it in with AA on a Q96 rainbow board against an idiotically-LAG opponent.  He called with the T7 for a gut shot and T high lol....8-ball on the turn and I had to get back into it.
 
Some dude bluffed off a ton of chips when I had the second nuts and that got me back to a bout even.  Other than that it was small pots here and there and I finished with a small win.  Didn't really feel like playing cash anymore so I just stopped.  Don't know why I felt like it at the beginning lol.

Last Update: June 5, 2008, 3:17PM | Permalink (2 Comments)

From the Poker Blog for EightFive

June 3, 2008, 9PM: Played 1 hour, 30 minutes, Lost $2.25 at Full Tilt
$2 Buy-In No-Limit Texas Hold'em Tournament (50th out of 191 Players)

So a little bit ago I made wrote a blog about how I wrote down all of my hands from a tourney, only to accidently click refresh and lose it all.  Well I tried it again and I didn't screw it up this time.  Here is my tourney with my thoughts by the more interesting hands.  I condensed the obv 72 and J3 folds (you'll see what I mean).  Enjoy.
 
10pm....$2 NLHE...1,500 starting stack...191 players
 
Hand 1-7 Fold
 
Hand 8 Limp 55 MP, 70bbs, several limpers behind me and the flop comes KT2...SB leads, I fold.
 
Hand 9-24 Fold
 
Hand 25 AQ, MP with 34bbs...1 limp, I raise 3.5x...2 callers.  Flop comes 235 and they both check to me.  I checked because I didn’t want to get blown off the hand.  I also wanted to keep the pot small this early.  Also, if I hit an A or Q I am likely to be good.  Turn was a 6 putting a pos. straight on board.  Checked to me again and I figured I had to take a stab this time...I was called and then shoved on when the river came a 7.  I folded leaving myself with 18xbb.
 
Hand 26 Raise UTG +1 with QQ and 18bbs.  2 calls.  I am out of position.  T22 flop…I shove hoping to get a weak call but pick up the small pot to get me back to a manageable chip stack.  (Also there were 10bbs in the pot and I was shoving for 15 so it wasn't a horribly huge overbet) No need to get cute here just grab the decent pot.
 
Hand 27-37 Fold
 
Hand 38 SB with 22bb’s...UTG min raises to 100…MP calls…button shoves for 600...I have AQ and I think this is a very close spot to reshove and isolate the short stack's all in, esp. in a $2 tourney because their range is surprisingly wide in that spot I think (unless you have a good read on the player).  However, I have a pretty short stack and don’t want to get called by the two left behind me and think I can find a better spot so I fold.  Kind of tight not 100% about this play but that was my thinking and I didn't hate the fold at the time.
 
Hand 39-41 Fold
 
Hand 42 MP with 22bbs…I open for 3x with AQo...I get one call out of the SB.  Flop comes AJT and the SB shoves all in for about the size of the pot.  I could be beat here but there really is no way to fold and probably have the best hand so I happily call and he has A8.  It holds up to get me to 1800.
 
Hand 43-56 Fold
 
Hand 57 CO, raised AJo with 25bbs...got one call and I was in position....Flop came T86...he checked...I made a c-bet and he insta-minraised me.  That is one of the most frustrating things in these tourneys b/c I really have no idea what to assume these players are capable of.  He could just be deciding to reraise any bet I make assuming I am betting every flop.  He could have a monster and want to get value.  I just don't know what level an unknown is thinking on and therefore can't do to much in this spot with only A high and an awkward stack.  Most times you will take down the pot with a C-bet here, but in this case I make a note that he reraised me in that situation and I can adjust for next time I play a pot with him. Anyways I fold with 1100 left at 40-80 blinds.
 
Hand 58-60 Fold
 
Hand 61 Shove 1100 at 40-80 blinds UTG with JJ.  Everyone folds.
 
Hand 62-75 Fold
 
Hand 76 Shoved AT for 10x…all folded.
 
Hand 77-82 Fold
 
Hand 83 Shoved with K9s on the button for 10x.  Folds.
 
Hand 84-90 Fold
 
Hand 91 Shove A7s in CO for 10x…folds
 
Hand 92-99 Fold
 
Hand 100 Shove 10xbb UTG with TT…no calls
 
Hand 101-105 Fold
 
Blinds just jumped to 80-160 and I have 1160.  Time to get in there with anything close.
 
Hand 106-116 Fold
 
Hand 117 I am BB for 160.  I have 760 behind and have Q2o.  MP raises…I can’t really wait anymore there is just too much in the pot.  I get it in and he obv calls getting like 5:1 and has JT…A miracle I am a favorite but lose the hand.  No big deal, was going to need to get lucky to get back into it.
 
I was suuuper card dead and couldn’t find a good spot.  Doesn’t really make for great reading of a tournament, but I think there is something to be said for your short stack shoving ranges in tournaments as they relate to antes.
 
I think its super important to realize that once they bring in the antes you not only need to be more aggressive in general when it comes to stealing blinds, especially in position, but this is the same when you are a short stack as well.  You should even be willing to take the worst of it with 8-12x the BB if the blinds will be folding relatively often because the extra chips in the pot greatly increase your equity.
 
This is the reason I held out so long to get it in.  Along with being card dead or facing a raise in front of me and holding something decent like Q9...without antes in the pot it makes it more profitable to fold (assuming you have 10-12x as I did) and be the one opening the pot or reraising with a stronger hand.  I don’t know if all of my folds were good or maybe they were too tight.  Each specific one would require running the numbers a little more closely but this is essentially the idea I am working with when I have a short stack.
 
Don’t know if anyone will find this helpful or will enjoy reading/debating it but it helps me analyze my own play and makes me focus while I play.  Maybe next time I decide to do this it will contain a deeper run or more exciting hands.
 
-85

Last Update: June 3, 2008, 10:10PM | Permalink (4 Comments)

From the Poker Blog for NatePringle

June 3, 2008, 12AM: Played 1 hour, 30 minutes, Lost $2.25 at Full Tilt Poker
$2.25 Buy-In No-Limit Texas Hold'em Tournament (52nd out of 228 Players)

I have about 20 BBs with 99 in the BB...the cutoff, button, and SB limp for 300 each. I raise to 755...they all call...The flop is A4K with two hearts. SB checks, I check, both cutoff and button check. The turn is another heart. At this point I figure that if any of these players had an Ace, King, or the flush draw on the flop, they would have bet...SB checks to me and I decide to shove about 5000 into a pot of 3800...I knew I was ahead in the hand and if I just bet 2/3 I'm comitting myself regardless so I decide to just get it all in here...of course the cutoff calls with QJ and one heart and hits the 9h on the river....how can people play so horribly and win?

Last Update: June 3, 2008, 12:17AM | Permalink (5 Comments)

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