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Giving online poker another chance...
ThinkerJE:
17:17 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
Played very solid early on. Made up with AT in SB and managed to get 1 bet called on TT5 flop. Up to 1,580 at level 2, 15/30.
Slight mistake with QJ in SB vs KQ on a queen high flop. The ace on the turn probably saved me from doing all my chips. Now down to 925, with all 9 still going and blind 25/50.
I go out in 7th, 2 limpers and I check QT in BB. Flop is T 7 3 and I check hoping for someone to bet. Matey pushes all in and I insta call. He shows KJ for a complete goo ball, however the king on the turn hits him and knocks me out.
Didn"t really get into this SNG, and was low on chips at the end. Perhaps I should just push the ten high flop and take what is in the middle, but I wanted to double up and there was always a risk of the out draw.
18:02 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
I limp with 99 (in position) and 4 players see a KT4 flop. All check and a 2 arrives on the turn. 3rd limper bets and I think he is trying to pick it up so I call. Jack on the river and it goes check check. 99 wins againt his 88, up to 1,700 early, very tight table once again.
No hands, 1,595, 50/100 with 8 left. SS pushes UTG for 455 total. I call in BB with TT vs A4. Board comes JQAKJ and my straight is good. Then card dead, apart from a couple of button steals, nothing much has happened.
SS SB pushes and I insta call in BB with AQ vs K7, flop is A76 (good), turn K (sick), river blank and I take a hit. The very next hand there is a raise in mid position. I wake up with AK in SB and push, called. AK vs JJ, flop 9TJ, but no Q arrives and I am gone in 6th.
Another frustrating game. I felt I played alot better and kept my patience well. Just needed the hands to hold and the result could have been different. No mistakes this time though.
So today has been a bit different than yesterday. Only 2 thirds to show from it so far. Going to have a break now and get some food. I may have a few more SNG"s later tonight, and try to get the strike rate back up to where it should be.
NO BAD BEATS - I guess this is what they call variance...
ThinkerJE:
I didn"t get back online to play any more SNG"s. The lure of good Italian food, a very nice red wine and only fools re runs on G.O.L.D was too much to resist.
Tuesday 16 December 2008
Woke up late, not having to go to work is brilliant. Switched on TV to find some rather fit ladies crunching and stretching in very skimpy outfits. I had a double take to make sure I had not left the sky box on babestation from the night before, then the aussie accent gave it away. The programme in question is the rather fantastic Aerobics Oz Style. Would it be wrong to sky plus this when I go back to work?
Anyway, I had a few tasks to do early afternoon and finally got online to the virtual felt around 4pm.
16:07 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
Play tight early. 2nd level 15/30, I call a raise with 66 and 3 of us see the flop. 7 6 T (bingo!!!), the raiser bets, I re raise and the other caller pushes all in. Raiser gets out of the way and I call. 66 vs JJ, turn Q, river T and I am up to 3,025 with 8 left and big chip daddy.
Then I sit and fold alot as the other players proceed to get knocked out. A few steals along the way but we reach the bubble and I still have 3,025 in chips. I still don"t get involved and we are in the money at 100/200 with 2,850 in chips (vs 7.4k & 3.2k). I basically made the money on the back of one hand. Now it is time to get aggressive.
The SS button pushes and I wake up in the BB with KK. I am against A6 and no ace means we are heads up with 4k vs 9k. It goes back and forth without me ever getting near to the chip lead. With blinds 100/200/25, I have 3,500 and chip daddy pushes on button, I have AQ and insta call. AQ vs 82, the deuce on the river means I am gone in 2nd. Pleased with my patience in this game and another cash is a good start to the day.
ThinkerJE:
17:29 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
I raise in mid position with AK and get 1 caller. I bet out on the 8TT flop and get called. I slow down now and it is checked to the river. He shows 55 to take it down and I am 1,150 with 9 left 15/30.
I raise UTG with KK. Matey in mid position re raises and the button flat calls. I am not messing around so I push all in. The raiser folds, but the caller calls??? KK vs A9 (how ad is that???), the kings hold and I am up to 2,660, 25/50 with 8 left.
I re raise in the SB with AcKc and get called. I flop the nuts Tc4c2c and check, he checks behind. The turn is an ace and it goes check check again. I bet a third of the pot on the river and get called (he mucked). Up to 3,795, 25/50 with 8 left.
Then the table gets very tight and I go card dead. Apart from a few steals in position I have nothing to play. I now find myself the SS with 2,000, blinds 100/200/25 and 4 left.
I get it all in pre flop, AQ vs 99, board comes 9T4Q7 and I go out on the bubble in 4th. Damm I hate the bubble, not much more I could do though and pleased with how I played the situations that arose. Just one of those games.
18:45 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
This game did not last that long due to this encounter during level 3.
There is a min raise in early position and 5 callers. I am in BB with 9dTs and it is 50 to call into 400 pot. Flop Th 9s 6s and I check (being sneaky), the raiser bets and gets called. Perfect now I can squeeze with what is likely to be the best hand anyway, make them pay for their draws and hopefully win a big pot. I push all in and they both call!!!! T9 (2 pair) vs 99 (set) vs AsJs (nut flush draw). So I only have 2 outs, a spade on the turn and blank river takes us both out. I can"t understand why the set doesn"t re raise on that dangerous board, it would give me a tricky decision, one I would like to think I could get away from (but then agian...). Anyway I am out early and decide that I didn"t do too much wrong, I think I made the right play, just ran into a better hand.
ThinkerJE:
19:17 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
I get no hands early and sit tight as is my game. I still have 1,500 at 75/150 with 7 players left and no risks have been taken. It is so important to stay out of trouble early in these SNG"s, plenty of time to get funky later when the blinds get higher.
I do a stop & go move in the big blind with Kd Jd on a QT2 flop, now up to 2,175 with only 5 left and 75/150 blinds.
There is a raise from mid position, and I wake up with AA in the SB. I re raise and he pushes and I insta call. AA vs J9off (!!!!!), flop Q8K (I know a ten is coming), turn T (doh!!!), river J (justice). Broadway takes it, I am up to 5,275 and big chip daddy on the bubble. Hate his push with J9, I have not played many hands, why would he choose to get funky with me, he had time and chips left not to play that hand (not that I am complaining like).
I raise a SS with AQ vs 88 all in pre flop. No help small hit down to 4,540.
I raise in position with AT and get min re raised. Now I am worried I am dominated but the pot odds are massive so I call (must be wary of an ace on the flop). Flop is A7J and he checks, I check behind (fearing a bigger ace). Turn is 4 and he min bets again. Again massive pot odds and not too much of my remaining stack so I call. River T (gotcha). He min bets again and I raise (hoping to get paid by AK), he then min re raises me, and I am a bit confused. I figure I am probably beat now, either AJ or 77 being most likely, however the odds are massive again so I call and he shows KQ for rivered broadway. I probably gave him too much credit for a big ace and should have bet the flop when he checked. I took that as strength rather than he wanting a free card. Should have been more aggressive in that hand I think. Down to 3,475 and 2nd in chips, still 4 left with blinds 100/200/25.
I don"t get involved and the bubble bursts and we are in the money. I get it all in pre flop TT vs AJ, board 2T223 and double up to 5,650 with 3 left (1 very short stack), blinds 200/400/25, total pushathon now, just one big game of chicken.
All in pre flop with the SS, 88 vs J9, 5K849 board and we are heads up 7.5k vs 6k.
I push on the button with AQ and get called. AQ vs K7 and no help for him means I take the win. Well pleased with my play, I got some good cards along the way but played some good poker aswell.
ThinkerJE:
Break for tea, pasta again but very nice. No red wine tonight as I wanted to get back online as I felt I was playing well, so I had a couple of beers instead.
22:50 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
I raise in position with AT and get called. Flop is KA2 and he checks, I bet and he calls. Turn is 9 and it goes check check. River 9 and he bets, easy call as the king plays and it is probably a chop. He shows KJ and I take the pot. Up to 1,725, 15/30 with 8 left.
Limp with 88 and 4 people see a Q23 flop. Matey bets and I decide to be aggressive and raise to take it down. However he calls. I shutdown now and have to fold to his river bet, he shows KQ and it was a good read. I like the play I made and the decision to back off when I got called. Down to 1,300 25/50 with 8 left.
I raise on cutoff with AJ and BB calls. Checked to me I bet the KQ7 flop on the semi bluff but matey pushes and I have to release. Down to 1,000 and short stacked now.
Now for a suck out. UTG limps and I find AhQh and raise half my stack (probably should just push here as I am calling whatever), all fold to UTG who pushes and I call (knowing I am in trouble and hoping for a race). AQ vs AK, flop As 8h 7h, giving me the flush draw, turn Td, river Qd. Very lucky suck out and double up to 2,300.
Then the very next hand I get it all in against a shorter stack. JJ vs QT, a queen arrives on the flop and I am down to 970, 50/100, 8 left and SS again.
All in pre flop 88 vs JT on a 45657 board and I am up to 1,790, 75/150 and 7 left (with 2 very short stacks), playable again now.
Have to sit back a bit now as alot of chips are moving every hand. I move in position or when I get a good hand but get no action, we are now 100/200/25.
I push with 33 and get called. 33 vs A8, board 973KJ and I am up to 3,500 with 5 left and 2nd in chips. Chip daddy then disposes of 2 other stacks and we are in the money. He then knocks out another and we are heads up 4k vs 9.5k.
It went back and forth a bit but he was using his stack well and I could not eat into his lead. Finally I pushed with the monster 52 off and was up against AT (they are live), however an ace on the turn sealed it and I finish 2nd and I am very grateful for it. I got very lucky with the AQ vs AK hand, but you need to make the most of it, as it goes against you sometimes aswell (those are the times you remember). Pretty pleased with my overall play, chip stack was up and down like a tart"s knickers, which is not my normal tight style. However you must play each situation as it arises and make the most of them.
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