Monday, December 19, 2005

my first Live ITM finish

Played the tournie last night. my fourth outing to a live event.and after finishing right on the bubble in a tourney last week I managed a respectible third last night....delighted about it but also dissappointed...felt i could have won it but I think my heads up play has a lot to be desired.

One interesting hand in the early stages of the tournie. I was dealt KK in late position. a player A in early position pushes all in for about 1000.player B to my right calls (and has only 275 left). I call.Flop comes up KQx. Player B checks. I bet 275. ...he Calls. so three way showdown.Player A has AAPlayer B has QQ. And my set of Ks hold up.

Made the final table as one of the shortstacks with about 8,000 and played like a rock for the first twenty minutes...and this hand came up.

A9o in late position. 4 callers into the pot. I tihnk the blinds were 800/1.5K...so im thinking heres value if there ever was. so i smooth call.flop comes up a lucky Ah9hx. checked around to me. I push.

everyone folds and back in the game.

I climb back into my hole for another orbit or so and I get dealt 99 in late position. two all ins before me and the push I felt is automatic as i reckon i was up against Ax and Ax. they turn over Aj and AQ and its just about a coinflip.a jack comes up on the flop but a 9 on the turn bails me out (nice to see the strongest preflop hand holding up) and im in great position for the tournie.

a bit later on I min raise with K4 and a loose player goes all in for 11K more. I honestly felt he was chancing his arm as he did a few times and if i lose then im still in good position. so i call. he turns over A9s flop comes 44K turn K river. doesnt really matter. full house take your pick which one.

I honestly felt bad, online it would almost be a fold for me but lack of experience on my part made me call i think plus the bloody heat.

Hand I went out on. 3 players left Blinds are 2,000, 4,000.Button folds.I have about 40K left. Made the decision early to raise to 10K with K4s flop comes up QxQ. We check down to the river which is a K. I check. He goes All In. im now thinking that he is up to a steal. so i call.he turns over a Q. wp gg. thinking back to it now i should have thought more about it and folded I should have red the slow played Q but I guess I will only get better with experience all in all it was a great tournie and pleased with my cash out of 300.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Hand History Debate

The following is a hand I played in a cash game on AllIn on Tuesday.
It caused a bit of a debate to start between Culchie and RoundTower on boards. Two players who have good experience so I respect both of their opinions.



*************************************
- Washie101 sitting in seat 1 with $51.55
- jdog29 sitting in seat 2 with $10.62 [Sitting out]
- Piiit sitting in seat 3 with $194.91 [Dealer]
- onderchild sitting in seat 4 with $42.40
- Yannn sitting in seat 5 with $14.60
- Lightbulb_01 sitting in seat 6 with $23.91

onderchild posted the small blind - $0.25
Yannn posted the big blind - $0.50
** Dealing card to Washie101: 7 of Spades, 9 of Spades
Lightbulb_01 folded
Washie101 called - $0.50
Piiit raised - $3.00
onderchild called - $3.00
Yannn folded
Washie101 called - $3.00
** Dealing the flop: 6 of Spades, Ace of Spades, 10 of Hearts
onderchild checked
Washie101 checked
Piiit bet - $7.00
onderchild folded
Washie101 called - $7.00
** Dealing the turn: Jack of Spades
Washie101 checked
Piiit bet - $20.00
Washie101 went all-in - $41.55
Piiit called - $41.55
Piiit shows: Ace of Clubs, King of Clubs
** Dealing the river: Ace of Hearts
Washie101 wins $104.60 from the main pot
********************************
I have to say I have very little Cash Game experience.

Culchie felt that my preflop call of $3.00 was mistake, He felt that preflop value of 97 wasnt worth the call.

He has a good point, After thinking about this for a long long long time. I have come up with the following conclusion.

First, the preflop action and wheter my calling a 2.50 raise was right or wrong.
against a tight player it is an automatic fold but against a borderline maniac?? im not so sure. Im still debating it.

I have always felt that mid suited cards that have a flush and straight possibilities can be profitable in the long term. but Culchie has me thinking even more that whilst calling the BB is fine. Calling the big raise is defintely not a profitable long term play, but Ive been pig headed about a quote in a Matt Matross book where he says that before you put money in a pot you have to consider whetere you would be willing to call a raise, with the hand your holding. If not then with a number of players to act after you then whats the point of calling.

This was a loose table. So I felt calling the raise preflop was ok.

after the flop im convinced that if i hit the flush then i have the winning hand as the $7 raise.
as I openely convinced my self he has Ax.

the turn is a spade and i really cant put him on the flush.

Hindsight is a great thing and the only way you can improve at poker is to learn from your mistakes. there is only a small percentage of ppl who discuss their game with their poker playing peers.

Thats why places like the poker forum on boards is a great education tool. There are some fine players on there who or so friendly and help you out with things that your doing wrong.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

My poker Blog

Well Everyone seems to be doing it so why not me and also for my own sanity.

Ive only been playing online for a year so im quite an average player. I set myself a bankroll of a 100 euro a month and if i bust within the month, then i dont play until the next month. Thats happened to me twice in the past 11 months, and I am happy to report that i am up the amazing sum of 120 Euro to the end of November. Im happy with that as i only tend to play low level STTs/MTTs, winning a few £2 &£5 MTTs. cash games have been a no go area and shall remain that way for a while yet.

I've just started playing Live and i must say the experience is so much more differant and so much more better.

So far in my 3 outings (all to the magnificent SE),
Ive finished
11th in a 100FO
12th in a 25Rebuy (didnt rebuy but took the topup)
and an on the bubble 6th in a 25Rebuy (didnt rebuy but took the topup).

The first two outings were extremly nerve reckon and on the second outing the guy to my left told me not i dont have to be so nervous as my shaking hands took in the chips from an All in situation where i have AK and rags on the flop.

The third outing I didnt feel nervous at all, and I can only get better with experience.

Before playing live I was the kind of player who just played the cards, but since starting to play live, Ive learned that playing the player can be a bigger factor.

So as i finish off this first post (not that anyone will ever read it, but hey it keeps my thinking about poker or should i say obsessed). Ill sign out by reminding myself "Get to know your opponents"