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crazy eights Friends

crazy eights - 2009-09-24

Date: Thu, Sep 24, 2009 Internet

How is poker going?

About like this:

PokerStars Game #33250242541: Tournament #198265724, $10+$1 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2009/09/24 22:34:48 ET
Table '198265724 1' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: arstug (1480 in chips)
Seat 2: VoxTurtle (1510 in chips)
Seat 3: FR Vessant (1410 in chips)
Seat 4: bouchaco (1670 in chips)
Seat 5: badboyjayuk (1580 in chips)
Seat 6: rawdog7575 (1410 in chips)
Seat 7: WiredSet (1520 in chips)
Seat 8: KrazyCraig84 (1480 in chips)
Seat 9: MAGNUM8454 (1440 in chips)
KrazyCraig84: posts small blind 10
MAGNUM8454: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Kc Kd]
arstug: folds
VoxTurtle: folds
FR Vessant: raises 60 to 80
bouchaco: folds
badboyjayuk: calls 80
rawdog7575: folds
WiredSet: calls 80
KrazyCraig84: folds
MAGNUM8454: folds
*** FLOP *** [8c 7c 6d]
FR Vessant: bets 200
badboyjayuk: calls 200
WiredSet: calls 200
*** TURN *** [8c 7c 6d] [7s]
FR Vessant: bets 1130 and is all-in
badboyjayuk: folds
WiredSet: calls 1130
*** RIVER *** [8c 7c 6d 7s] [9c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
FR Vessant: shows [Kc Kd] (two pair, Kings and Sevens)
WiredSet: shows [7h 2h] (three of a kind, Sevens)
WiredSet collected 3130 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3130 | Rake 0
Board [8c 7c 6d 7s 9c]
Seat 1: arstug folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: VoxTurtle folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: FR Vessant showed [Kc Kd] and lost with two pair, Kings and Sevens
Seat 4: bouchaco folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: badboyjayuk folded on the Turn
Seat 6: rawdog7575 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: WiredSet (button) showed [7h 2h] and won (3130) with three of a kind, Sevens
Seat 8: KrazyCraig84 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: MAGNUM8454 (big blind) folded before Flop

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My email to Pokerstars support, subject "Doomswitch"

Date: Mon, Aug 3, 2009 Internet

Hi

Could you turn it off now? I appreciate your sense of humour but this is just sick:

PokerStars Game #31222081385: Tournament #183600842, $5.00+$0.50 Hold'em No Limit - Level VIII (150/300) - 2009/08/03 23:00:31 ET
Table '183600842 34' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 2: FR Vessant (6290 in chips)
Seat 3: RVRchsngDONK (21317 in chips)
Seat 4: gallory8 (7260 in chips)
Seat 5: Perrin57 (16222 in chips)
Seat 6: Chuckzeduck (9645 in chips)
Seat 7: Rick007 (6825 in chips)
Seat 8: stormswa (8665 in chips)
Seat 9: yurntrbl (1950 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts the ante 25
RVRchsngDONK: posts the ante 25
gallory8: posts the ante 25
Perrin57: posts the ante 25
Chuckzeduck: posts the ante 25
Rick007: posts the ante 25
stormswa: posts the ante 25
yurntrbl: posts the ante 25
yurntrbl: posts small blind 150
FR Vessant: posts big blind 300
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [4h 4c]
RVRchsngDONK: folds
gallory8: folds
Perrin57: folds
Chuckzeduck: folds
Rick007: folds
stormswa: folds
yurntrbl: raises 1625 to 1925 and is all-in
FR Vessant: calls 1625
*** FLOP *** [Tc Td Ts]
*** TURN *** [Tc Td Ts] [Th]
*** RIVER *** [Tc Td Ts Th] [2h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
yurntrbl: shows [3s As] (four of a kind, Tens)
FR Vessant: shows [4h 4c] (four of a kind, Tens - lower kicker)
yurntrbl collected 4050 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4050 | Rake 0
Board [Tc Td Ts Th 2h]
Seat 2: FR Vessant (big blind) showed [4h 4c] and lost with four of a kind, Tens
Seat 3: RVRchsngDONK folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: gallory8 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Perrin57 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Chuckzeduck folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: Rick007 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: stormswa (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: yurntrbl (small blind) showed [3s As] and won (4050) with four of a kind, Tens

Thanks

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Doomed to stay at the 11s

Date: Sun, Aug 2, 2009 Internet

Why do I always run so badly when I move up? I just don't understand it. I fired up a 22 this morning. Just one, because I'm working. Mostly I folded, then I picked up TT at t50, raised to 3x and got two callers. The flop was 442, so I led out. One of the fishes raised and because I was committed, I got it in. He has JJ. Next up, I have 88. There's a limper, a shortstacked fish raises and I call. I didn't notice the fish was short, or I would have likely shoved over. The flop comes 9xx, the limper checks, and the fish bets out small. I know he has nothing and shove over. The other fish snapcalls with A9. How come they always have it? Every fucking time! The guy limps A9 from early position, calls a raise and flops top fucking pair. So I have a few chips left and get up to 400. I pick up KK in the small blind. Sadly they all fold to me, and I raise but the fishy big blind decides this is the one time he will not defend his blind. FML.

This pretty much sums it up though. Here's my bustout hand:

PokerStars Game #31179674313: Tournament #184216436, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2009/08/02 20:50:43 ET
Table '184216436 1' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: FR Vessant (415 in chips)
Seat 2: decorounder (2210 in chips)
Seat 3: meeks16 (3415 in chips)
Seat 4: geomed (2060 in chips)
Seat 5: O'Brien_6 (3380 in chips)
Seat 6: zapedy (1340 in chips)
Seat 9: jeffery b3 (680 in chips)
jeffery b3: posts small blind 25
FR Vessant: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [8c 5d]
decorounder: folds
meeks16: folds
geomed: folds
O'Brien_6: folds
zapedy: folds
jeffery b3: calls 25

He's very short obv. so I doubt I have much fold equity.

FR Vessant: checks
*** FLOP *** [5c 6c 3h]

That should be an okay flop.

jeffery b3: bets 200

I expected him to bet his whole range here, so I am not folding. I probably have the best hand.

FR Vessant: raises 165 to 365 and is all-in
jeffery b3: calls 165

And I do. He has 32. I mean, fucksake, how can I not beat these clowns? If you want to play that shit, shove it man.

But yeah, you probably spotted that he has a draw to the straight, so that's fucking it for me.

*** TURN *** [5c 6c 3h] [6s]
*** RIVER *** [5c 6c 3h 6s] [2s]

And there it is. Like clockwork.

I mean, no fucking kidding, I am doomed never to move up past the 11s. I simply cannot win at a higher level. I can't get to the long run, and I suspect that even if I did, they'd still be hitting every single draw, every single flop, everything against me.

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Fuck fucking poker

Date: Sat, Aug 1, 2009 Internet

STTs suck. Early in this one, I had QQ cracked by a guy who shoved when I 3bet a UTG raiser. He had AKs and probably should have folded. So I had basically no chips and clawed my way back. I got to the bubble with 2Kish chips, and lost some when I raised with JJ and a huge fish called and openshoved an A high flop. He probably didn't even have the ace, but you can't risk it. Then I got blinded down a bit, so a few hands later.

PokerStars Game #31116131795: Tournament #183786853, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level VII (100/200) - 2009/08/01 7:11:44 ET
Table '183786853 1' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: kinkykay-de (3881 in chips)
Seat 2: FR Vessant (1225 in chips)
Seat 4: Bluesmansav (6548 in chips)
Seat 5: SezzGecko (1846 in chips)
kinkykay-de: posts the ante 25
FR Vessant: posts the ante 25
Bluesmansav: posts the ante 25
SezzGecko: posts the ante 25
FR Vessant: posts small blind 100
Bluesmansav: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Kh 9s]
SezzGecko: folds
kinkykay-de: calls 200

This is our fish, who loves to limp, to call raises, and to make dim stabby bluffs at the flop.
FR Vessant: raises 1000 to 1200 and is all-in

I have been playing tight, so I figure I have a ton of FE.

Bluesmansav: folds
kinkykay-de: calls 1000

Wrong.

The fish has called me with K7s. I mean, wtf. You can't think you're ahead with that. I think the one thing I never get over in STTs, even though I am pretty cool with the truth that it's all about luck now, is these tards who just gamble. Yeah, I know it's all gambling, but intentionally putting your money in behind is awful.

*** FLOP *** [8c 6s 9h]

When I saw the flop, I knew I would be busted. Yes, I have top pair. But what does that matter? He has a draw and it's going to come in.

*** TURN *** [8c 6s 9h] [Jh]
*** RIVER *** [8c 6s 9h Jh] [5d]

See? If I played 200 games a day, I'd be over it, because I'd see it all the time. So yeah, maybe play more than 50 this month, Zenners?

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bleh

Date: Sat, Aug 1, 2009 Internet

How am I ever going to move up in stakes if I run so badly?

PokerStars Game #31114065461: Tournament #181767859, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2009/08/01 5:05:49 ET
Table '181767859 35' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: LatzFatz (2980 in chips)
Seat 2: mandymoo77 (2990 in chips)
Seat 3: BIGTONE53 (6140 in chips)
Seat 4: FR Vessant (2960 in chips)
Seat 5: arameer (2860 in chips)
Seat 6: Munstah (1640 in chips)
Seat 7: I_win_Hands (3000 in chips)
Seat 8: Daf12 (3000 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 9: aannaa1 (2980 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts small blind 10
arameer: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [7c 8c]
Munstah: folds
I_win_Hands: folds
Daf12: folds
aannaa1: folds
LatzFatz: folds
mandymoo77: calls 20
BIGTONE53: folds
FR Vessant: calls 10

Easy complete.

arameer: raises 80 to 100

Seems bad so I'm going to call and hope to outflop him.

mandymoo77: folds
FR Vessant: calls 80
*** FLOP *** [Jc Tc 5h]

Should be a good flop for my hand.

FR Vessant: checks
arameer: bets 220
FR Vessant: raises 400 to 620

I hope to fold him out here.

arameer: raises 400 to 1020
FR Vessant: raises 1840 to 2860 and is all-in

With 13 outs against top pair, I am going to gamble here.

arameer: calls 1740 and is all-in

He has Ac9c. Fuck my luck.

Get this though:

Uncalled bet (100) returned to FR Vessant
*** TURN *** [Jc Tc 5h] [4c]

It's enough to make you cry.

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On coaching

Date: Sun, Jul 19, 2009 Internet

Some guy on 2p2 asked me for coaching. He was angling for free help by buttering me up, but I don't have time, so I said I'd do it for money (not much money -- 30/hr if you want to learn how to crush) and he asked what would be the best way to gain from coaching and how you should do it. So I said this:

There are three indispensable skills if you want to win using a 2p2-type strategy: 1/ Hand selection 2/ Not ****ing up postflop and 3/ most importantly, late game.

In 1, you have to know which hands to play in which spots, which hands you'll threebet, which hands you'll shove over limpers, which hands you'll resteal with against which players. Some of this you can figure out for yourself, some you can be taught, some you just get a feel for as you play.

In 2, there are different approaches, but the most important thing is not to make the bigger mistakes your opponents make: not to stack off light with top pair, not to go broke in unraised pots with hands that are easily beaten, not to chase draws; and more positively, to bet strong hands hard, to apply aggression correctly and to understand bet sizing and have some idea of what your opponents are trying to do. An appreciation of range-based thinking and play is essential, because this is the foundation of good poker.

In 3, you need to know when to push and when to fold. This involves understanding ICM above all, and working through spots in a program like SNG Wizard, which is an essential purchase for anyone who wants to improve at STTs. I don't have a lot of time to study ICM, which is one reason I don't play turbos too much (regular speeds are more forgiving of patchy late-game knowledge), but there are good and bad ways to use it imo.

If you get anyone to help you with your game, you need them first of all to understand what you know. To do that, they need either to sweat you or to go through a HH in a replayer. They can do this without your presence, but tbh talking to a player about why they played their hands a particular way lets you know whether they get it or not. You know what I mean? Someone might do something differently from the way I would, and I'll ask them why. If you understand the game, your answer will make sense to me, if you don't, the flaw in your understanding becomes apparent. Most people have glaring leaks because they just dont' understand areas of the game, or spots that they are in. This is true of everyone bar the very best: I'm a moderate player and I definitely don't know it all.

I'll be honest with you. Coaching has a value in STTs, but it's limited, because a lot of the knowledge you need is gained through experience and work that you have to do for yourself. So it's valuable to have someone talk through some games with you, and explain broadly where you're going wrong/what you're doing right, but they can't teach you push/fold -- you have to study that for yourself. Having said that, if you are very much a learner, either being sweated or going through a HH in a replayer will work -- using Skype and Teamviewer or similar. I think the second is best because there's no time pressure and you can explain your thought process.

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Omahahahahhahahahdfhdhfdhfhdhdhfhdhshshshhs

Date: Sat, Jul 18, 2009 Internet

I thought this was quite interesting. I am playing a $2 PL Omaha 8 tourney (I know, shoot me) because I'm an addict but can't concentrate enough to play anything worthwhile, when this hand came up.

Full Tilt Poker Game #13462676090: $2 + 0.25 Tournament (99453018), Table 10 - 30/60 - Pot Limit Omaha H/L - 3:54:16 ET - 2009/07/18
Seat 1: superiorbath (5,325)
Seat 2: Darkdeck (1,316)
Seat 3: SexulHrsmntPnda (4,494)
Seat 4: SusieOh (938)
Seat 5: ASD-OCD (4,811)
Seat 6: basatagirl (4,863)
Seat 7: KYKenny (1,339)
Seat 8: RAGS2RICHESXXX (1,587)
Seat 9: daveteezeeme (2,068)
superiorbath posts the small blind of 30
Darkdeck posts the big blind of 60
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to basatagirl [3c 4d Ks Ac]
SexulHrsmntPnda folds
SusieOh folds
ASD-OCD calls 60
basatagirl calls 60

It's reasonable to limp this in this game, where there is very little aggression.

KYKenny calls 60
RAGS2RICHESXXX folds
daveteezeeme calls 60
superiorbath calls 30
Darkdeck checks
*** FLOP *** [8c 8d 2c]
superiorbath checks
Darkdeck bets 120

Doesn't have to have much for that.

ASD-OCD calls 120

This is terrible with his actual hand.

basatagirl calls 120

I call with nut low draw and nut flush draw. If no one has or hits a boat, I could scoop.

KYKenny folds
daveteezeeme calls 120
superiorbath folds
*** TURN *** [8c 8d 2c] [6c]

So I have my flush and the nut low. There aren't too many hands I'm going to hate being against here.

Darkdeck checks
ASD-OCD bets 420
basatagirl raises to 2,100

Pot raise. I don't mind if he comes with me now.

daveteezeeme folds
Darkdeck folds
ASD-OCD raises to 4,631, and is all in
basatagirl calls 2,531

Easy call. He can have me beat for high, but can only chop low, and it has to be unlikely he has it.

ASD-OCD shows [3s 8s Jd 2h]

Fucking awful. He should never limp this pre. It's a dog. 32xx is a trouble hand in OH and he has nothing else going on really.

On the flop, he has high sewn up obviously, but slowplaying it is horrible. Why let
me hit my low for free? I am supposing he thinks he will get more from a flush if it hits, but there's a decent wedge in the pot, and if someone hits a low, he gives up half of what's already there. He has nothing to lose by pumping the pot.
*** RIVER *** [8c 8d 2c 6c] [2d]
ASD-OCD shows a full house, Eights full of Twos, for high
basatagirl shows a flush, Ace high, for high and 8,6,3,2,A, for low
ASD-OCD wins the high pot (5,051) with a full house, Eights full of Twos
basatagirl wins the low pot (5,051) with 8,6,3,2,A

So that sucks a bit, not least that he hit a full with such a bad hand. This sucks more:

Full Tilt Poker Game #13462754587: $2 + 0.25 Tournament (99453018), Table 10 - 40/80 - Pot Limit Omaha H/L - 4:03:54 ET - 2009/07/18
Seat 1: superiorbath (4,905)
Seat 2: Darkdeck (1,916)
Seat 4: SusieOh (658)
Seat 5: ASD-OCD (4,911)
Seat 6: basatagirl (5,103)
Seat 7: KYKenny (1,279)
Seat 8: RAGS2RICHESXXX (1,587)
Seat 9: daveteezeeme (1,888)
ASD-OCD posts the small blind of 40
basatagirl posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to basatagirl [Tc Ah Ks 2s]
KYKenny folds
RAGS2RICHESXXX folds
daveteezeeme folds
superiorbath folds
Darkdeck calls 80

He should try to steal with the hand he has if he's going to play it, but I wouldn't play it.

SusieOh folds
ASD-OCD has been disconnected
ASD-OCD folds
ASD-OCD has reconnected
basatagirl checks

I have no fold equity for a raise, even though my hand is okay. I prefer not to bloat the pot without any hope of just TingID.

*** FLOP *** [3h As 7c]

Not the best flop because there's a low out there and the ace is really bad for me.

basatagirl checks
Darkdeck bets 200
basatagirl calls 200

I call because I have TPTK on an unconnected board, and he doesn't have to have a low
because these boys will often play high-only hands. I should probably fold, but I hate to give up too easily against these really bad players.

*** TURN *** [3h As 7c] [Kh]

That's a great turn for me, because I now have the best high.

basatagirl checks
Darkdeck bets 400
basatagirl raises to 1,800

I am hoping to make him fold hands that have bad lows and no highs and draws to beat me, like 64xx maybe.
Darkdeck calls 1,236, and is all in
basatagirl shows [Tc Ah Ks 2s]
Darkdeck shows [2c 4s 2h 5c]

Obviously he is not folding a nut low. I am in good shape for high though because he'd need a 4 or a 2 to beat me, and obv. he has one of the 4s and only one 2 is still in the deck.

Uncalled bet of 164 returned to basatagirl
*** RIVER *** [3h As 7c Kh] [4c]

Oh shit.

****

My bustout hand was quite disappointing.

Full Tilt Poker Game #13463062792: $2 + 0.25 Tournament (99453018), Table 10 - 80/160 - Pot Limit Omaha H/L - 4:36:27 ET - 2009/07/18
Seat 1: superiorbath (7,032)
Seat 2: Darkdeck (3,397)
Seat 3: pokerbill72 (24,917)
Seat 4: back2therail (4,035)
Seat 5: ASD-OCD (7,154)
Seat 6: basatagirl (4,165)
Seat 7: KYKenny (1,139), is sitting out
Seat 8: Boxcar85 (2,783)
ASD-OCD posts the small blind of 80
basatagirl posts the big blind of 160
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to basatagirl [Ad 3s Qh Qd]
KYKenny folds
Boxcar85 folds
superiorbath folds
Darkdeck folds
pokerbill72 folds
back2therail has 15 seconds left to act
back2therail raises to 320

I hate minraises in Omaha. You don't have much, if any, steal equity, so all you're doing is bloat the pot.

ASD-OCD calls 240

Will call with nearly anything, he's that bad.

basatagirl calls 160
*** FLOP *** [Jc 6d 2c]
ASD-OCD has 15 seconds left to act
ASD-OCD bets 960

That's a big bet, so he probably has something. However, I'd think he's more likely to have something like 54xx or Acxcxx than a set of jacks, so I'm probably ahead for high and have hopes for low. Folding here would be far too weak in my view, and given the amount I have to call, I should play for stacks.

basatagirl raises to 3,840

So I do.

back2therail folds
ASD-OCD calls 2,880

I would have rather kept the pot smaller with his hand, and looked to make money when I actually had a hand, but I'm not him.

I now very much don't want to see a club on the turn, particularly not a high one.

*** TURN *** [Jc 6d 2c] [Qc]

FUCK. I mean, on the one hand I have a set, but on the other, the flush made, and he's likely to have it.

KYKenny has been disconnected
ASD-OCD bets 160

Yeah, cunt, you should have done that on the flop, given that I only had 5 left behind.

basatagirl calls 5, and is all in
ASD-OCD shows [2h 3d Ac 7c]

He has the worst possible hand for me. He should have 3bet preflop imo, because it's always better to take it down preflop than to try to let me have a shot at outflopping him on a high-only board getting 5/1.

Sadly, he not only has the flush, but he halves my low too, so I badly need the board to pair.

basatagirl shows [Ad 3s Qh Qd]
Uncalled bet of 155 returned to ASD-OCD
*** RIVER *** [Jc 6d 2c Qc] [9c]

Which of course it doesn't.

Oh well. Just because this fish played nearly every fucking hand and hit perfect against me are not reasons to cry. But his being Australian is. All -- and I mean all -- Australian players are entirely retarded, and should never win a cent at poker imo.

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WTF hand of the week so far

Date: Wed, Jul 8, 2009 Internet

It's not the decision to limp that boggles the mind and not the decision to call a raise after that. It's how this guy has the ability to find the on button on his computer:

PokerStars Game #30220353332: Tournament #177710269, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2009/07/08 2:18:18 ET
Table '177710269 1' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: FR Vessant (1560 in chips)
Seat 2: stunt chick (1725 in chips)
Seat 3: LindaLouStar (980 in chips)
Seat 4: Spay Nuter (1390 in chips)
Seat 5: rockxxx (1580 in chips)
Seat 6: barrazor (2120 in chips)
Seat 7: bonez_311 (1785 in chips)
Seat 8: Ultima24 (1080 in chips)
Seat 9: jtran86 (1280 in chips)
LindaLouStar: posts small blind 15
Spay Nuter: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Qc Ac]
rockxxx: folds
barrazor: folds
bonez_311: folds
Ultima24: calls 30
jtran86: folds
FR Vessant: raises 90 to 120

I make a fairly standard raise. I never like picking up AK/AQ, suited or otherwise, in the first couple of levels and I don't much like raising limpers because they never fold unless you hit.

stunt chick: folds
LindaLouStar: folds
Spay Nuter: calls 90
Ultima24: calls 90
*** FLOP *** [Jd 8h 9d]
Spay Nuter: checks
Ultima24: checks
FR Vessant: checks

Not betting that flop because there's just so much for a fish to like there.

*** TURN *** [Jd 8h 9d] [Ks]
Spay Nuter: checks
Ultima24: checks
FR Vessant: checks

Could bet there, but then I'm just hating so many rivers.

*** RIVER *** [Jd 8h 9d Ks] [Kd]
Spay Nuter: checks
Ultima24: checks
FR Vessant: checks

I guess I'll just show my hand down and hope they have...

well, I dunno. there's pretty much nothing I can be beating except crappy aces. So I have to check.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
Spay Nuter: shows [3c Ad] (a pair of Kings)

Crappy ace, sure enough. Why do these clowns call with them? I am quite likely to have a bigger ace and if I don't, and an ace comes, you're unlikely to get paid. So you can only win a small pot or lose a big one.

Ultima24: shows [6h 9s] (two pair, Kings and Nines)

What. The. Fuck. I can't even imagine a rationale for playing that. Maybe he folded the previous hand and was bored. Maybe he feels it will be disguised if he hits. Erm, yes.

Anyway, this is more usual. I suppose the fish was unlucky that he couldn't make any money when he got lucky, but I think against those parts of my range that he could make money from, his line sucks some.

PokerStars Game #30220404105: Tournament #177708932, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2009/07/08 2:21:47 ET
Table '177708932 1' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: over-vert (1200 in chips)
Seat 3: titralac (4715 in chips)
Seat 4: the bl12ade (1230 in chips)
Seat 5: huggyville (1020 in chips)
Seat 6: pc318318 (1310 in chips)
Seat 8: rafmd (2460 in chips)
Seat 9: FR Vessant (1565 in chips)
huggyville: posts small blind 15
pc318318: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Kd Ah]
rafmd: calls 30

I'll tell you now, he has 22. So that's reasonable to limp. You might consider it more prudent to fold because you're likely to be raised and that will make it expensive, but actually this table is quite passive in the few hands we've played, so it's not such a bad gamble.

FR Vessant: raises 90 to 120
over-vert: folds
titralac: folds
the bl12ade: folds
huggyville: folds
pc318318: folds
rafmd: calls 90

But now he should fold. It's too much money to call to try to hit a set and my range is not narrow enough to guarantee stacking me unless you get the right flop.

*** FLOP *** [2d 3s 5s]

Which this one isn't.

rafmd: checks
FR Vessant: checks

I check behind obv. because even though it's unlikely he hit the flop, he's unlikely to fold to a cbet here. He can convince himself to continue with overcards and obv. folding a pair would be out of the question for him.

In his shoes, I'd probably bet. If I have an overpair, I'm going to raise, and he can then often get it in. If I don't, I'm not all that likely to cbet this flop and you are hoping that I hit something that I like on the next two streets.

*** TURN *** [2d 3s 5s] [Tc]
rafmd: checks

The fish's urge to trap overcomes any idea of actually making value with his monster. I suppose once I checked the flop back, it's okay not to force the action, because my most likely hand is AK/AQ and I'm not calling a bet with that.

FR Vessant: checks

*** RIVER *** [2d 3s 5s Tc] [Qd]
rafmd: bets 150

Finally, he takes a stab. It's safe, of course. I'm pretty unlikely to have a pair of Qs and AQ is strongly in my range.

FR Vessant said, "sigh"
FR Vessant said, "I have a bad feeling you actually have a Q"

LOL. I was kind of tempted to call because my hand is often good but meh.

FR Vessant: folds
Uncalled bet (150) returned to rafmd
rafmd collected 285 from pot
rafmd: shows [2s 2h] (three of a kind, Deuces)

How we laughed.

Later, I gave him a lesson in why limpcalling is bad:

PokerStars Game #30220786852: Tournament #177708932, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2009/07/08 2:49:13 ET
Table '177708932 1' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 3: titralac (3837 in chips)
Seat 5: huggyville (3495 in chips)
Seat 8: rafmd (4493 in chips)
Seat 9: FR Vessant (1675 in chips)
titralac: posts small blind 75
huggyville: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [As Ah]
rafmd: calls 150
rafmd said, "ty"
FR Vessant: raises 300 to 450

I know, it's ridicutarded, but it sucks a ton if you push and he folds, which he just might have.

titralac: folds
huggyville: folds
rafmd: calls 300
*** FLOP *** [5d Td 7s]
rafmd: bets 600

Well, let's hope he doesn't have 77 or some retarded shit like 75s.

FR Vessant: raises 625 to 1225 and is all-in

Drop the boom.

rafmd: calls 625

He has KdTh.

*** TURN *** [5d Td 7s] [2d]

So that turn is a bit stressful.

*** RIVER *** [5d Td 7s 2d] [3c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
rafmd: shows [Kd Th] (a pair of Tens)
FR Vessant: shows [As Ah] (a pair of Aces)
FR Vessant collected 3575 from pot

I know, how come I'm losing money in this company. Beats me too.

Read Full Blog Post

Bet or check?

Date: Wed, Jul 8, 2009 Internet

I have no one to talk poker with so I'm stuck with posting hands here. Maybe someone will happen along and comment.

PokerStars Game #30218574186: Tournament #177697288, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2009/07/08 0:35:44 ET
Table '177697288 1' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 2: jivehoney2 (875 in chips)
Seat 3: catsonny (1630 in chips)
Seat 4: Gugrand (1835 in chips)
Seat 5: FR Vessant (1660 in chips)
Seat 6: svargas (1120 in chips)
Seat 7: luckyluke711 (1465 in chips)
Seat 8: Kevgj454 (2400 in chips)
Seat 9: Rollar (2515 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts small blind 15
svargas: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Kh Ad]
luckyluke711: folds
Kevgj454: folds
Rollar: folds
jivehoney2: folds
catsonny: folds
Gugrand: raises 60 to 90

This guy has been pretty tight, but he has the button, so I'm not necessarily putting him on a really tight range.

FR Vessant: raises 120 to 210

So I threebet. I actually don't normally threebet out of position. I'd typically flatcall. However, it seems to me that I can define my hand pretty well here by threebetting. If he's very strong, he is likely to shove over, and if he isn't, he will likely fold, and I won't have to play postflop guessing games with it.

svargas: calls 180

So that's not goodThis guy has been semiloose, but not extremely so. I'm not sure what range to put him on because these guys so often surprise you. I guess he can have a lot of pairs and some broadways in his range.

I mean, I've threebet so he shouldn't be superwide.

Gugrand: folds
*** FLOP *** [7h 8d 3s]

Here's the difficult thing. This flop sucks for me. It's not all that likely to have hit him but he may have begun with a better hand.

I can bet, and if he calls or raises, I think I'm done with it. It's a fairly dry flop, so I can't imagine he's trying to push me off a hand if he shoves. I think he should fold overcards, but I can't be sure. They don't often bluffraise, but you have to give him a small chance of it.

If he has a pair, he's never folding on this flop.

I can check, but I think that turns my hand face up and I have to fold when he bets. It won't even be "if". They never check behind. I mean, checking with AA would make sense because these clowns put you on AK every time and try to push you off it.

So is betting profitable?

FR Vessant: bets 270

Well, I try it.

svargas: raises 640 to 910 and is all-in

But I dunno. I think I should have checkfolded. Now I'm stuck in a shitty position and I hate that I bet.

0000

This is why my month is shitty though:

PokerStars Game #30218901413: Tournament #177697279, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2009/07/08 0:52:18 ET
Table '177697279 1' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 2: marsmac (2218 in chips)
Seat 3: Backwoodsman (1735 in chips)
Seat 4: Mixien (1622 in chips)
Seat 5: JZarse (1455 in chips)
Seat 6: FatStack911 (4175 in chips)
Seat 7: JC Cub (1020 in chips)
Seat 8: FR Vessant (1275 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts small blind 50
marsmac: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [9c Ah]
Backwoodsman: folds
Mixien has timed out
Mixien: folds
Mixien is sitting out
JZarse: folds
Mixien has returned
FatStack911: calls 100

Playing 37/11.

JC Cub: calls 100

Playing something like 40/10.

FR Vessant: raises 1175 to 1275 and is all-in

So I should have tons of fold equity here. And even if one calls, I should be ahead, because he ought to be raising better aces and most pairs.

marsmac: folds
FatStack911: raises 2900 to 4175 and is all-in

OMG.

JC Cub: folds
Uncalled bet (2900) returned to FatStack911

He has AQs. If you want to know how you can even conceivably lose money to these droolers, this is how. Who traps with AQs for fuck's sake? It would actually make less money in the long run than taking the blinds.

Again, these fish think that this sort of thing is super clever when they catch you with A9. They consider it a huge injustice when you have 53 in the BB and catch two pair or you suck out and hit your 9. But what they don't realise is that an aggressive player like me makes this shove all the time, and I profit from it. I factor in the dumb traps when I consider doing it.

Not that their traps always work:

PokerStars Game #30219060445: Tournament #177697288, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2009/07/08 1:00:41 ET
Table '177697288 1' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 3: catsonny (1580 in chips)
Seat 5: FR Vessant (3785 in chips)
Seat 8: Kevgj454 (4865 in chips)
Seat 9: Rollar (3270 in chips)
Kevgj454: posts small blind 75
Rollar: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Ah Qh]
catsonny: raises 150 to 300

Why minraise in his spot? I guess he could have something but I'm not folding my hand in this spot. The problem is that these guys also steal with minraises and like to minraise small pairs. This guy has minraised more than once, although I haven't seen him do it utg.

I think my hand is too strong to fold against a shorty even if I am suspicious, so I don't fold.

FR Vessant: raises 600 to 900

I raise to discourage the others from entering the pot.

Kevgj454: folds
Rollar: folds
catsonny: raises 600 to 1500

He actually leaves himself with 80 behind, which is cute. I'm not folding obviously.
FR Vessant: calls 600
*** FLOP *** [9s Qc 3d]

Well, if he has AA, this is going to hurt.

catsonny: bets 80 and is all-in
FR Vessant: calls 80

He has JJ.

Couple hands later, just to show that I am not married to AQ or anything:

PokerStars Game #30219076960: Tournament #177697288, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2009/07/08 1:01:34 ET
Table '177697288 1' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 5: FR Vessant (5440 in chips)
Seat 8: Kevgj454 (5015 in chips)
Seat 9: Rollar (3045 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts small blind 75
Kevgj454: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Qs Ah]
Rollar: folds
FR Vessant: raises 300 to 450

Standard raise.

Kevgj454: raises 4565 to 5015 and is all-in

Thing is, this guy has been loose but not particularly aggressive. I think he has to have a strong hand, given my read so

FR Vessant: folds

Uncalled bet (4565) returned to Kevgj454
Kevgj454 collected 900 from pot
Kevgj454: shows [Jc Js] (a pair of Jacks)

Well, I suppose I had some overlay but I'm pretty content to have folded there.

However later on:

PokerStars Game #30219183005: Tournament #177697288, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2009/07/08 1:07:32 ET
Table '177697288 1' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 5: FR Vessant (5665 in chips)
Seat 8: Kevgj454 (5690 in chips)
Seat 9: Rollar (2145 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts small blind 75
Kevgj454: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [9h 9c]
Rollar: folds
FR Vessant: raises 300 to 450
Kevgj454: calls 300

Can have a very wide range.

*** FLOP *** [6c 2h Js]
FR Vessant: bets 600

I am obviously going to cbet even with the overcard.

Kevgj454: raises 4640 to 5240 and is all-in

But now I have to fold.

Having folded earlier, is he encouraged and is now bluffing? I dunno. I do think I can have the best hand but on a flop this dry, it's hard to put him on the bluff because he'd have to have absolutely nothing. So

FR Vessant: folds

0000

Not that it did me too much harm:

PokerStars Game #30219235910: Tournament #177697288, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level VI (100/200) - 2009/07/08 1:10:33 ET
Table '177697288 1' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 5: FR Vessant (3790 in chips)
Seat 8: Kevgj454 (8315 in chips)
Seat 9: Rollar (1395 in chips)
Rollar: posts small blind 100
FR Vessant: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Kh Ad]
Kevgj454: raises 400 to 600
Rollar: raises 795 to 1395 and is all-in

Woah! Hold on!

FR Vessant: raises 2395 to 3790 and is all-in

I'm getting it in because even though Rollar probably has a strong range, I'm going to have to be beaten by both to come third even if Kevgj454 calls (because I outchip Rollar). I'd obviously have a really nice stack if either I win outright or I beat just Kev.

Kevgj454: calls 3190

He has KK. The other guy has a pair of 6s.

Yuk. Still, at least I'm a big favourite to come second. And there's always spiking the ace, right?

*** FLOP *** [5c 9d Qc]
*** TURN *** [5c 9d Qc] [Jh]

Hold on! Now I have a ten or an ace to win. Come on!

*** RIVER *** [5c 9d Qc Jh] [Th]

woot.

Kev decided to do more trapping later, and really, this is why you don't do this sort of thing:

PokerStars Game #30219251392: Tournament #177697288, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level VI (100/200) - 2009/07/08 1:11:22 ET
Table '177697288 1' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 5: FR Vessant (9575 in chips)
Seat 8: Kevgj454 (3925 in chips)
Kevgj454: posts small blind 100
FR Vessant: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [4d 2d]
Kevgj454: calls 100
FR Vessant: checks
*** FLOP *** [4s 3s 7h]
FR Vessant: checks

I don't bet, even with the flush draw there, because a/ I'm never putting a HU opponent on an FD, and b/ he can and will call with a 5, 6 or overcards.

Kevgj454: checks
*** TURN *** [4s 3s 7h] [4h]

Nice. I'm pretty sure I have the best hand now.

FR Vessant: bets 400
Kevgj454: raises 800 to 1200

Not too scared by that. If he has a better 4 or the flopped straight, that's poker. More likely he thinks I'm bluffing and he can rebluff me.

FR Vessant: raises 8175 to 9375 and is all-in

So let's get it on, bro.

Kevgj454: calls 2525 and is all-in

He has JJ, which he played about as badly as is possible. The idea of poker, put simply, is to make bets when you're a favourite at the odds, and pass them when you're not. Doing it the other way round is not going to make you money. But from time to time, it just might make me some.

Read Full Blog Post

Zero again

Date: Tue, Jul 7, 2009 Internet

As always, when I move up, I run terribly. This is doubly painful because first you start thinking that you simply weren't as good as you thought you were, and second you lose twice as much money. Once you start to run bad, you start to play bad too.

In the first of today's 22s, I panicked on a bad bubble and made a big -EV call:

PokerStars Game #30214005607: Tournament #177652941, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level VIII (200/400) - 2009/07/07 21:32:03 ET
Table '177652941 1' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 5: bryan lieb (1778 in chips)

This idiot has basically funnelled tons of chips to jonny2jabs, who is a good player, shoving every SB and button, so I lose 600 chips an orbit, but is folding his BB to shoves from tallyyayo, so I am in a terrible position stackwise.

Seat 6: jonny2jabs (7037 in chips)
Seat 7: FR Vessant (2444 in chips)
Seat 8: tallyyayo (2241 in chips)
bryan lieb: posts the ante 25
jonny2jabs: posts the ante 25
FR Vessant: posts the ante 25
tallyyayo: posts the ante 25
FR Vessant: posts small blind 200
tallyyayo: posts big blind 400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [6d 6h]
bryan lieb: folds
jonny2jabs: raises 6612 to 7012 and is all-in

I should fold, of course, but I figure to be in a very weak position, trying to fold into third, if I do, and a decent one, able to play a bigger stack and a good shot at second at least, if I don't.

FR Vessant: calls 2219 and is all-in

So I don't, and this time the ATC shover has 77. GG me.

So the villain in this hand has been erratic and bad:

PokerStars Game #30212844089: Tournament #177653493, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2009/07/07 20:51:41 ET
Table '177653493 1' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: jonny2jabs (980 in chips)
Seat 2: dumbmum (2840 in chips)
Seat 3: TJ PackMan (733 in chips)
Seat 4: Ducky G 6000 (1835 in chips)
Seat 5: TomC69 (3075 in chips)
Seat 6: pieroni85 (1375 in chips)
Seat 8: FR Vessant (1697 in chips)
Seat 9: orbitahole (965 in chips)
TJ PackMan: posts small blind 50
Ducky G 6000: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Ac Jh]
TomC69: folds
pieroni85: folds
FR Vessant: raises 150 to 250
orbitahole: calls 250

It's really hard to put him on the hand he has, because this call is soooo bad.

jonny2jabs: folds
dumbmum: folds
TJ PackMan: folds
Ducky G 6000: folds
*** FLOP *** [3s Th 4c]
FR Vessant: checks

That's a decent flop but I don't think I can make him fold.

orbitahole: checks
*** TURN *** [3s Th 4c] [2h]
FR Vessant: checks
orbitahole: bets 300

I'm sure he's just taking a stab. Maybe he has a flush draw. In any case, I don't think I can fold here. Effectively, it's the same as getting it in pre, which I would have done.

FR Vessant: raises 1147 to 1447 and is all-in
orbitahole: calls 415 and is all-in

He has TT.

So a few hands later, I shove 92 on the button, expecting a lot of fold equity, and the same fish snapcalls with KQ.

Next up, I lose yet another big pot with QQ:

PokerStars Game #30214906375: Tournament #177669905, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2009/07/07 22:04:10 ET
Table '177669905 1' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 2: tonyandgolf (3970 in chips)
Seat 3: smallbass79 (1458 in chips)
Seat 4: Uncut Haus (1095 in chips)
Seat 6: Hymie_Weiss (1664 in chips)
Seat 7: FR Vessant (1625 in chips)
Seat 8: evilgenius76 (2580 in chips)
Seat 9: pokherfinger (1108 in chips)
tonyandgolf: posts small blind 25
smallbass79: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Qd Qh]
Uncut Haus: folds
Hymie_Weiss: folds
FR Vessant: raises 100 to 150
evilgenius76: folds
pokherfinger: folds
tonyandgolf: calls 125

Has been fairly tight but doesn't look good.

smallbass79: folds
*** FLOP *** [5c 7s Th]
tonyandgolf: checks
FR Vessant: bets 200

Nice flop for my hand so obv. I bet.

tonyandgolf: raises 500 to 700

Well, he might have a set, but you don't make money by folding overpairs against fish.

FR Vessant: raises 775 to 1475 and is all-in
tonyandgolf: calls 775

You also don't make it by running QQ into AA. GG me.

I defy anyone to fold this one:

PokerStars Game #30215110571: Tournament #177670505, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2009/07/07 22:11:31 ET
Table '177670505 1' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: FR Vessant (2868 in chips)
Seat 2: AKATheShark (2475 in chips)
Seat 5: DaPorKer42 (3205 in chips)
Seat 6: Dr. Baker75 (1979 in chips)
Seat 8: Uncut Haus (898 in chips)
Seat 9: Jacxxs (2075 in chips)
DaPorKer42: posts small blind 50
Dr. Baker75: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Qc Ad]
Uncut Haus: folds
Jacxxs: calls 100

Pretty bad to limp here. He's played sort of semiloose, so I definitely figure to be ahead.

FR Vessant: raises 300 to 400
AKATheShark: folds
DaPorKer42: calls 350

Has played 16/3 or something like that. His call is beyond bad with the hand he actually had. Weirdly, if he'd played it anything like properly, I would have been able to fold pre and get away from it.

Dr. Baker75: folds
Jacxxs: calls 300
*** FLOP *** [8h 6c Ah]
DaPorKer42: bets 2805 and is all-in

WTF.

I know when you see his hand you think I should fold. Isn't it obvious he has me beat? Well no, it's not. It's really hard to see how any hand that beats me plays like this.

I just happened to have the only hand he beat that would call. That's how it is for me at the moment. I'm losing a ton of money to players who are so bad they don't know that their bets are super bad.

Jacxxs: folds
FR Vessant: calls 2468 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (337) returned to DaPorKer42
*** TURN *** [8h 6c Ah] [9h]
*** RIVER *** [8h 6c Ah 9h] [9s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
DaPorKer42: shows [Kc As] (two pair, Aces and Nines)

Just fucking awful. He should have AJ or a flush draw, maybe with a 6. When you're running good, that's all they have (although note that the flush draw got there anyway).

It doesn't do my fragile confidence any good. This happens literally every time I move up. I know that running bad is part of poker, but when it happens coincidentally with moving up, you start to fear that you cannot win at a higher level than the goddamn 11s. I had been getting excited about my prospects. Now they are at zero again.

Read Full Blog Post

blwhah

Date: Tue, Jul 7, 2009 Internet

I'm hating poker lately. I had an up and down month last month, but I didn't play much, so meh. I am playing really well, as well as I ever have, but I'm running like shit. Sometimes I play a $2 satty for my MTT fix and when I win the ticket, I play whatever 11 is available. So I played a 27-man and won that. With the 100 bucks I played a 33 and the Nightly 70K. In both I took fierce beats from guys who limpcalled with suited cards preflop. So that was that. Never mind, only risked 2 bucks.

So I moved up to the 22s and that worked well. Or not, as you can imagine. Whenever I move up a level I immediately run like shit, just so that my head gets fucked with. I'm 100% certain I'm playing well, but running bad makes you question that so much. When a tight player completed at t150, should I really have shoved 13BB or whatever with T6? Well, I'm pretty sure I should, because how can I possibly know that a player who is winning more than a buck a game is bad enough to snapcall with KJ? And obviously I can't help all my big pairs getting cracked. I'm not talking just about shoving QQ on a K7x flop and the loose big blind having K7; I mean having AA, getting it in with JT on a AJ8 flop and the turn, river are 9,7. I am not fucking kidding, although I wish I was.

So tonight I said fuck it, because my laptop is broken and I wanted to stay upstairs, and played some bullshit games on FTP. I can proudly report that my record in 3.80 superturbos is now 1/0/0/1 and only a bad beat prevented me from cashing in both. However, I remain cursed in the 6.5/90s, where I have never cashed and probably never will. I shove 55 with a decent stack and a fish calls off 10BB with A3s, which is terrible.

Why is that terrible? He has an ace, right? Well, I am shoving more than 10BB effective, so my range is going to be fairly tight, and I haven't shown much sign of insanity yet, so you can definitely figure that you aren't beating much. Maybe KQs if you think I'm superfrisky, but you're not much ahead of that. My range otherwise is pairs, which nearly all crush you, and big aces, which also crush you. So you are hoping it's a pair and that you can suck out. Which the fish did. So I'm left shoving 9BB with KJs and the SB, who has, I dunno, 20BB, snaps with A6. This is also terrible. In case you truly suck at poker, let me tell you two facts: one, raggy aces are shit hands and two, raggy aces play much worse than you think against any sane shoving range. I just have so much Ax in my range and most of it smashes you. The pairs crush you mostly and even hands like the one I had fare okay (in theory) against your dogshit. But hey, you cover me, right, so gambooooooool? Well no. Your chips are worth much more to me than mine are to you. You just do not win poker tourneys by making loose calls, even if you think you miiiiiiiight sometimes be ahead.

This is one of the problems of tourneys. We don't mind too much the guys who limpcall with suited cards and eventually flush on us. They are chasing such longshots that we gain much more than we lose. But the guy who calls with A6 can hurt us much more. Not only does he rob us of some of the value of shoving weaker hands, but even if we have a stronger hand, he still sucks out much more often than he does when he calls pre with a suited hand. The guy who calls off his stack with A3s is an equity burner -- but although you got your money in good, he is burning your equity too by calling. The A6 guy, well, bleh. If there was any justice, I would have binked a J and lol'd him to oblivion. But there is no justice in poker.

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I think I prefer lowstakes

Date: Sun, Jul 5, 2009 Internet

OMG. There's just nothing to say about this. But why can't they miss?

PokerStars Game #30141761978: Tournament #175253468, $50+$5 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2009/07/05 22:45:06 ET
Table '175253468 49' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: howdipartner (3990 in chips)
Seat 2: BaQinBlaQ (2957 in chips)
Seat 3: FR Vessant (3980 in chips)
Seat 4: Mariocalls (2725 in chips)
Seat 5: mikeylions (5835 in chips)
Seat 6: mik9182 (9970 in chips)
Seat 7: nutsindaface (2130 in chips)
Seat 8: NdAAMiracle (3345 in chips)
Seat 9: NYSquad (4840 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts small blind 75
Mariocalls: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Ac Ah]
mikeylions: folds
mik9182: folds
nutsindaface: folds
NdAAMiracle: raises 150 to 300
NYSquad: folds
howdipartner: folds
BaQinBlaQ: folds
FR Vessant: raises 450 to 750
Mariocalls: folds
NdAAMiracle: calls 450
*** FLOP *** [8c Td 6d]
FR Vessant: bets 1050
NdAAMiracle: calls 1050
*** TURN *** [8c Td 6d] [9h]
FR Vessant: bets 2180 and is all-in
NdAAMiracle: calls 1545 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (635) returned to FR Vessant
*** RIVER *** [8c Td 6d 9h] [9d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
FR Vessant: shows [Ac Ah] (two pair, Aces and Nines)
NdAAMiracle: shows [Jd Kd] (a flush, King high)
NdAAMiracle collected 6840 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 6840 | Rake 0
Board [8c Td 6d 9h 9d]
Seat 1: howdipartner folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: BaQinBlaQ (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: FR Vessant (small blind) showed [Ac Ah] and lost with two pair, Aces and Nines
Seat 4: Mariocalls (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: mikeylions folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: mik9182 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: nutsindaface folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: NdAAMiracle showed [Jd Kd] and won (6840) with a flush, King high
Seat 9: NYSquad folded before Flop (didn't bet)

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Another day, another wtf

Date: Sun, Jul 5, 2009 Internet

Don't let anyone tell you that players actually get better as you go up buyins:

PokerStars Game #30113095585: Tournament #175252758, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level VI (100/200) - 2009/07/05 6:27:03 ET
Table '175252758 44' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: Snooze7am (6775 in chips)
Seat 2: Muso01 (6350 in chips)
Seat 3: jesse6520 (2211 in chips)
Seat 4: Metzy 100 (11151 in chips)
Seat 5: aironevolant (3290 in chips)
Seat 6: HyperR_NL (9758 in chips)
Seat 7: FR Vessant (10930 in chips)
Seat 8: Brick7047 (1180 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 9: kaktus1965 (6550 in chips)
jesse6520: posts small blind 100
Metzy 100: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Ac Qh]
aironevolant: calls 200

Horrible fish.

HyperR_NL: folds
FR Vessant: raises 600 to 800

So I make an isoraise.

Brick7047: folds
kaktus1965: folds
Brick7047 is disconnected
Snooze7am: folds
Muso01: folds
jesse6520: folds
Metzy 100: calls 600

Another unbelievable fish.

aironevolant: raises 2490 to 3290 and is all-in

I just don't believe he's limpreraising a big hand. I'm thinking it's probably a small pair, and I have the overlay to take it on.

FR Vessant: raises 7640 to 10930 and is all-in
Metzy 100: folds
Uncalled bet (7640) returned to FR Vessant

He has 22. Fuck that.

*** FLOP *** [Kh Kc 5h]

Give me a 5, Q or A.

Three hands later.

PokerStars Game #30113152574: Tournament #175252758, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level VI (100/200) - 2009/07/05 6:30:31 ET
Table '175252758 44' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: Snooze7am (6775 in chips)
Seat 2: Muso01 (5150 in chips)
Seat 3: jesse6520 (4522 in chips)
Seat 4: Metzy 100 (10251 in chips)
Seat 5: aironevolant (4819 in chips)
Seat 6: HyperR_NL (11508 in chips)
Seat 7: FR Vessant (7440 in chips)
Seat 8: Brick7047 (1180 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 9: kaktus1965 (6550 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts small blind 100
Brick7047: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [6s 6h]
kaktus1965: folds
Snooze7am: folds
Muso01: folds
jesse6520: folds
Metzy 100: folds
aironevolant: calls 200
HyperR_NL: calls 200
FR Vessant: raises 800 to 1000

Hoping to get Hyper to fold and isolate the other guy.

Brick7047: folds
aironevolant: calls 800

You simply will not believe what he limpcalled with.

HyperR_NL: folds
*** FLOP *** [Ad 2d 4s]
FR Vessant: bets 6440 and is all-in

Not afraid of the ace. The fish would have raised if he had one.

aironevolant: calls 3819 and is all-in

He snapcalls with Td4d.

I don't ask how come a fish can call with Td4d in the first place, or how he can call a raise with it. I ask why he must fucking hit the flop. Could he not just have missed?

Uncalled bet (2621) returned to FR Vessant
*** TURN *** [Ad 2d 4s] [7d]

OMG.

Oh well. Still alive, right?

PokerStars Game #30113244440: Tournament #175252758, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level VI (100/200) - 2009/07/05 6:36:02 ET
Table '175252758 44' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: Snooze7am (6975 in chips)
Seat 2: Muso01 (4450 in chips)
Seat 3: Ozknackers (6930 in chips)
Seat 4: Metzy 100 (9851 in chips)
Seat 5: aironevolant (16060 in chips)
Seat 6: HyperR_NL (10808 in chips)
Seat 7: FR Vessant (2921 in chips)
Seat 8: Brick7047 (880 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 9: kaktus1965 (6250 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts small blind 100
Brick7047: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Ad Jh]
kaktus1965: folds
Snooze7am: folds
Muso01: folds
Ozknackers: folds
Metzy 100: raises 200 to 400
aironevolant: calls 400
HyperR_NL: folds
FR Vessant: raises 2521 to 2921 and is all-in
Brick7047: folds
Metzy 100: calls 2521
aironevolant: folds
*** FLOP *** [Kd Th Kh]
*** TURN *** [Kd Th Kh] [9h]
*** RIVER *** [Kd Th Kh 9h] [4c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
FR Vessant: shows [Ad Jh] (a pair of Kings)
Metzy 100: shows [Ts 9s] (two pair, Kings and Tens)

Wrong.

Unreal. That's some of the worst poker you'll ever see and in each case I was on the receiving end of it. Yet again. It sucks though. I don't normally play $33 buyins, I'm so risk averse. And I was absolutely cruising, playing well, with an above-average stack when bang! Sigh.

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Goodbye to all that

Date: Thu, Jul 2, 2009 Internet

I seriously believe I will not make an 8,000th post on 2p2. I have used it as a timewaster more than a learning tool, and of course, I like to help others if I can, but I doubt I'm actually good enough to be of that much benefit to anyone.

So I'm going to post a hot chick here and that will do me for 2p2. No one will care; least of all me.

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