Question for The Bloggers

OR ????????

Since there are no promotions or other pokery goodness on the main site I use (Holdempoker), I am thinking about cashing out my meager bankroll and putting it in either PokerStars or Full Tilt.

I'm not sure who checks this pitiful little blogette out, but suggestions would be much appreciated as far as improving my game, softness of the sites, swag, etc.

I really enjoy playing in the WWdN Tuesday tourney, so that's a definite plus for me.

Thanks in advizzance,

BP

W00T

FINALLY got into the sweet bling in an SnG tonizzle. That's right, I not only won $15, but also received the above gift from HoldemPoker.com as a gift for kicking me in the balls so many times.

Sweet!

Drought over (I hope)...

Well, Fark Me

Dudes. Seriously. Fuck.

I hope all your pots are fat and juicy (un)like mine!!

My freeroll bankroll has taken a hit. Big time. I'm down to about $7.00. Ouch. It's those goddamn addicting SnGs that get me. I can't stop bubbling. I am bubble boy. Just when I think I'm going to bust out the short stack, the condom breaks and I spooge chips all over the place. And it's KILLING me.

I used to be able to money in the $5 and $10 SnGs without too much trouble, maybe missing the money once out of every 3 or 4 I entered. Lately, I can't get in the money no matter how much I beg, plead, or pray to the baby Jebus. I've been rivered out of the money by such fantastic holdings as 64o hitting their gutshot. Ad2c hitting a CLUB flush on the river when there are four clubs down, and I'm holding QQ-no clubs.

I know, I know, I know...we all have bad beat stories. It's a part of the game. But I took a goddamn nickel and freerolled my way to almost $100. Now it's almost all gone. WHY GOD?? WHY????!!!!!!!

Ahem. So.

Got a nice mention in The Blogfather's blog today, so that was a treat. Maybe I'll actually get some traffic around this pitiful site. I haven't exactly asked any one for a link yet, but probably will soon. This is a totally different experience than when I wrote The Baseball Boys. I'm trying to break into a VERY tight knit community. Back when I blogged about the MN Twins, there was The fame! The fortune! The locals lifting me on their shoulders and singing my praises! The mention in the Star Tribune! Damn, I miss that. I'm the king of the world!!!!!!

Right.

Anyhoo, as the junk kicking gets worse, I get more and more angry. I guess I should probably play one more SnG tonight and then get the kids out of the dryer.

BP

SnG's and Me

Maybe I should change my name to "Bubble P", cuz that's all I've been doing lately. At the $5 and $10 SnG tables, I've had some junk sodomizing beats in the past few days; pocket kings getting cracked by a low rivered straight, lost KKK66 boat to a KKKJJ boat (how many times do you really see full house over full house?), set over set (QQ beat by slowplayed KK), etc.

I'm thinking of abandoning the whole 10 person SnG thang as a whole. I've been running well in big MTT's, and might start making that the focus of my play.

I accidentally bought into a $5+.50 rebuy tournament the other night and played pretty well, even though I HATE rebuys. Top 20 were in the money, and I finished in 54th out of 247 players when my Hilton Sisters ran into AKs and the guy flopped the nut flush. I was chip leader in this tourney at one point, but went card dead for close to an hour, just raising to protect my big blind, and occaissionally stealing the blinds, since my table image was tight enough to steal with such powerhouses as 76o, Q2s, etc.

My nickel bankroll had grown to almost $97 at one point, but I've pissed away half of it in SnGs.

My new motto: Freerolls, freerolls, freerolls. MTTs, MTTs, MTTs.

Fear Itself

After having a great day Friday, Saturday sucked my sphincter. I basically donated all the money I made in my freerolls, near-freerolls, and SnG wins to players with marginal skills. All for one reason: I played with scared money.

I am, me thinks, too much concerned with the size of my bankroll. At this point in my newbie poker career, losing a $10+1 SnG buy-in is a big dip in my bankroll (ok, it's not THAT big, but it sure feels like it). I am more concerned with just getting in the money than winning the whole SnG or tourney. That's bad thinking.

I've been doing some soul searching, and I think that the reason I do amazingly well in the freerolls and near-freerolls is because if I get knocked out early, I can shrug, think "Well, at least I didn't pay anything to play", and go back to checking out internet porn reading Harrington on Hold 'em, and move on with my life.

When I buy into a low-cost ($5 or $10) SnG or MTT, however, I'm nervous over every chip I put in the pot, nervous about losing my buy-in.

Dar.

Gotta take CJ's 10th Commandment to heart and realize that once I put that money in, it's gone:

X. Thou shalt not be scared money. Don't buy an entry into a tournament in which the buy-in is a significant part of your bankroll. You can't be afraid to lose money in a tournament setting (or a cash game, for that matter). Once you pay for that buy-in, that money is gone! Focus on winning, not on getting your buy-in back.

Amen, brother.

Today will be a $5 MTT, followed by the $4K Frenzy.

I ain't fraid of no ghost.

Fuck Poker

That is all.

Jesus is the Caboose

"Jesus is the Caboose"
-Wrigley, 2 1/2 years old, playing 'trains' with my wife's nail polish.

I don't where that kid gets some of this crap, but man, it's funny.

I played another MTT last night. Holdempoker.com's $4K frenzy. $2 buy-in, a max of 1000 entrants, and it filled up fast.

I emailed my friend Josh before the tourney started:

I think I may have a pretty good shot at getting in the money. The top 130 pay, with first place paying out about $900. Not that I'll win, but I think I may be able to get into the top 50 or better.

It was a rebuy, so the first hour went buy excrutiatingly slowly. I felt like I had just finished beating off watching porn, and was forced to sit down and watch the rest of the movie. That's how slow things were moving.

But, the hour finally passed, everyone did their rebuys (including moi), and we headed into the wonderful world of the not-so-elusive Push Monkey. People were pushing with the worst shit I had ever seen. T4o, 22, anything to try to double up. I played my standard tight/aggressive (maybe a little overly tight) game.

Finally we got down to about 200 players, and were able to actually play poker. By this time, I has hovering right around the average stack mark. I stayed that way until I ran into a hand that put me on a rush for a spell. My AQo ran into 66, and I was beat until I sucked out with a Q on the river.


Bitchin'!


I ended up just above the average the average stack after a few bad beats until I decided to go against conventional wisdom and slowplayed a pair of Aces pre-flop. I hit my set on the flop (AKx) and check-raised my way into just about tripling up (against a set of slowplayed Kings and Ax).

Then came a time of great sorrow and gnashing of teeth. In biblical times, it was called the great Card Dead era:

And 94o, begat 93o, begat K2o, begat 43o, begat 58o, begat begat begat begat begat begat...

For over an hour and a half. I bluffed my way into a few blinds here and there, just to stay above water, but it sucked. It was like trying to put your hand on a girl's breast over and over and her putting back in your lap. You want to do something, but you just can't.

Finally, I hit my favorite AQ again. I pushed with $24K in chips. I got two callers (one all in, one had me covered) and thought sure I was in huge trouble until I saw their hands. I was called with AJ0 and KTs. I hit a Q on the flop and didn't look back.

OK, if I'm bored of this recap, so are you.

Long story short: I pushed with (you guessed it) AQ and ran into 77. I didn't improve and got knocked out in 21st place.

I only won a little over $30 for my 3+ hours of work, but I'm starting to get more and more confident in my MTT skillz.

I like this free or low-buy MTTs, because I'm putting little or nothing at risk and have been reaping pretty good rewards. $4 (with rebuy) to win over $30 is ok in my book.

I'm becoming the Poker Grub of micro MTTs, me thinks.

First MTT Win

Holdempoker.com has a "mini-freeroll" every day. Top 10 pays, winner gets a whopping $25.00 for wading through an hour of 'all ins' and blind structures that double every three minutes. I fired it up and figured it would be good practice, and to find the holes in my game.

Well, I won the thing. 491 entrants, T-1500 in chips, and messed up blinds. Amazing.

The blind structure was freaking CRAZY. Every 3 minutes. The last hand was $30K/$60K blinds. Once I hit the final table, I got really aggressive, picking up the blinds about twice an orbit, because everyone was afraid of just winning $2.50 (prize for 8-10). Then I got a great run of cards, knocked out two people at one time, and just kept rolling against a weak player who I ended up getting a lot of donations from. I didn't even really have to play heads up against my final opponent, because the guy was all in with the high blinds and I had 99% of the chips. He happened to have pocket 7s. I had ATs and got a break when I caught an Ace on the flop and he didn't improve. Winner, Bloody P.

I played tight/aggressive the whole time until the final table. Picking my spots and doing some trapping early, doubling up against fishy competition when I hit two pair or a set on the flop. I made a couple of mistakes with my raises (or lack thereof) from time to time, but overall was really happy with my game.

Last night I played four $5 SnGs and cashed in NONE of them (I had cashed in 3 out of 4 the night before, winning one). So this was a nice little confidence boost for me.

I still can't believe it. To make the final table is one thing, but to win it is crazy.

I Entered a Freeroll And All I Got Was This Stupid $10.00

Entered Holdem Poker's Daily Freeroll Wednesday night to get some much needed practice on my MTT skillz.

1220 entrants overall. I finished 16th.

Not too shabby. I was 2nd in chips at one point with 2o people left, so 16th is sort of like making out with your sister on ecstacy.

I went from hero to zero when I when my QQ ran into QTs (guy went all in post-flop on a Jxx board)and the guy runner-runner'd a straight on my to take my stack from about $115K to $27K. Ouchy. If he wouldn't have hit that straight, I would have almost doubled up and been chip leader. Could have basically folded my way to the final table. But NOOOOOOO, the poker gods decided that letting me hit the flop hard with Ax almost every hand I played and giving me back-to-back KK's twice in a game should end. I was smited. I was Job.

Had to push with any two once the blinds got up to 4K/6K, and got knocked out in 16th for a $10 credit to my account and a sense of accomplishment/tilt.

Good practice though, and I was happy with the results overall.

Now go here and read all the "recently updated" blogs that are way more bitchin' than mine.

2.7.06 WWdN Tourney

I played in the Wil Wheaton dot Net weekly tournament on Poker Stars last night and played pretty well. In a tournament filled with people who wax much more philosophical than I do on poker and it's junk-kicking nuances, I felt like a boy among men (and women).

I decided just to play my game. Go tight aggressive until the very end. For the most part, it worked. I made it to the one our break with slightly less than the average stack, which I considered a success in and of itself.

Then the blinds started going up. Fast. 100/200, then suddenly (it seemed) 200/400. I was card dead. I think I saw 82o about every other hand that was dealt to me. I stole a couple blinds here and there with marginal holdings (A7o, KJo), but was slowly getting blinded down (not to mention, there were some expert blind stealers in the hizzouse-I'm looking in Maigrey's general direction).

I was in the BB when I woke up to find 77. Not the greatest, but not the worst. Plus, the table had tightened up considerably after the first break. I wanted to double up, so I hoped the sphincter would open and fart chips my way. Or a least a little toot and grab the blinds.

I pushed.

Fold.Fold.Fold.Fold.Fold.Fold.Call.

One caller. Ad10c. And we're off to the races!

Flop comes down all rags with two diamonds and a spade. Turn is the Qd, and with one card left I'm ahead. I'm literally screaming at the monitor: "NO ACE NO TEN NO DIAMOND NO ACE NO TEN NO DIAMOND!!!!!!!"

Turn is a rag of diamonds and this guy hits his four card diamond flush Ace high.

Son of Mary Stuart Masterston!!!! Out in 22nd place.

I think it was the right decision to push in late position with a dwindling chip stack, but it was still a heartbreaker. In my mind, finishing 22nd and lasting longer than the Up For Poker crew, Wil Wheaton himself, and a bunch of other blogging notables, should be celebration enough in itself.

Vegas, Etc.

I've been one big bad beat story of late. My junk is now unrecognizable due to the constant football-cleated kicking it has taken the past three days.

I was playing "break-even" in the $5 and $10 SNGs on Holdempoker.com until this weekend. Then I scored only one first place finish in about 15 SNGs played. I finished third once, and then bubbled out on 8 or 9 of the other ones. That's right. ONE out of the money. Wah, wah, wah. That's poker, I guess. Dammit.

Harrington on Hold 'em Vol.1 came in the mail on Friday afternoon, and I immediate started to devour it. I'm about halfway through with it and it's hand down the best poker book I've read. The "problems" that he quizzes you on at the end of each chapter is worth the price of admission alone. Ironically, I had read the book for about an hour, fired up the poker machine and hit that first place finish I mentioned earlier. Coincidence? You be the judge.

Vegas was a blur. Lots of beer, some poker and more beer. Highlights and lowlights:

1. Sitting down with my buddy Josh at a $50 buy-in $1/$1/$2 NL table at the Luxor and standing up 10 minutes later on the worst beat of the weekend. Delivered by Josh. Story:

I look down to find AKo UTG. I bet out $12. Josh is to my immediate left. He raises all-in. I think about it, then push to call. Josh flips JJ. I cringe.

The flop comes down a lovely xKK. I've got him where I want him, with only 2 outs left to beat me. Yes, me hardies, he turned a boat with a Jack. I stood up, blinked, and then went straight to the bar.

Ouch.

2. Just entering the $30+$3 Limit/No Limit tournament at the Luxor was a bad beat. What a screwy format (that was unexplained) and you started out with $500 in chips and 10/20 blinds. It didn't get to NL until the final table. I'm terrible at Limit poker and was out fairly quickly. If you're counting at home, that's $33.00 for two "free" beers while playing.

3. Good beat story: My bags are packed and at my feet while I sit in the same NL table that my buddy knocked me out on. My flight is leaving in 3 hours. I'm seeing nothing for about 1/2 hour, when I announce to the table that this will be my last hand because I have to get to the airport. The cards are dealt and I look down at AQo. Sweet. I bet out and get one caller. Flop comes down JxT. Me sort of likey. Gutshot straight draws are always alright (no, they're not, but at this point, I didn't care). I check, caller checks. Turn comes down a beautiful King. Huzzah! Another pound for the king! I push. Caller thinks about it and pushes as well. He flips ATo, I flip my nut straight and the expression on his face is that of someone getting kicked in the junk while watching their puppy get run over by a car. I thank the table, grab my $82 and head to the cashier.

So, I was basically even on the poker scene, but dropped $20 on slots while waiting for Josh to finish up his tourney/table/whatever throughout the weekend. The free beer during the wait was good, so no complaints.

And that's how I came back from Vegas only down $20.