Poker Goals 2007

1. Win a seat/flights etc into a WPT/EPT/WSOP event ( > $5000 buy in)

This is the most important goal for this year. Even though my bankroll isn’t really big enough for this, I’m sick of grinding out small wins online. So I have to super-dooper satellite in like the rest of the suckers. I think I’m a much better live player then online. I tend to get bored online. Playing live, I can sit and study people for tells the entire time. As this is one of the reasons I like poker so much, its not hard to see why I’d prefer playing like this. I also like playing against people who are better then me. The big live tournys have such better players (well at least some). Although I love being able to make money in poker, I also like the challenge of things which aren’t easy. Cashing in one of these tournys would not be easy.

2. Win more then $2000 AU in a tourny online

I’ve had some significant cashes online of late. Although none of them were real show stoppers. Just enough to help the continued growth of my bankroll. There have been a few times I have got top 8 in large tournys and got around the $250 mark with first paying $1000 – $2000. I really want one of these big pay days as I think I’ve some what paid my dues on the final table of these games. So many people can’t play final table poker. There have been several occasions where people bet into no side pots to push me off a hand when another guy is all in. I would have won the hand but instead the all in person won. Stupid shit like that really pisses me off.

3. Get to 2-3BB/100 in $1-$2 limit on PokerTracker for > 50,000 hands

I have around 2900 hands logged in PT for the year so far (at $1-$2 HE). Currently I am running at 1.3BB/100. This is after a sick 60BB downswing not to long ago. I’m happy with my play at this level and would like to consolidate this for 50,000 hands before I move up in limits. Getting above 2BB/100h for that period would really validate my efforts in poker and give me a lot more confidence that I’m not just an upswinging loser.

4. Keep a > 10% ROI for PokerStars SitnGo’s

Currently I am sitting at 128% ROI (Return on Investment) on Sit’n'Go’s on PokerStars. I get this info from SharkScope. I know I can’t keep this awesome figure up over the long run. It has only logged 20 games (most of which are the 180 player MTT’s). I make good money off these games (buy in limits around $10 – $20). There are a lot of people that don’t have any strategy for tournments at all. The mind boggles as to what some of these people think they are doing. Thats where I have been making my money and until some real sick beats knock me down I’ll continue to run good against these players.

So hopefully I can at least achieve 2/4 this year. I just won a seat into the PokerStars Sunday Million which unfortunely starts at about 9am on a Monday morning where I live. I can’t play in it as I have to go to work (oh how I’d rather be playing poker). When first prize is pushing the $200,000 AU mark its hard to pass up.

I refunded the ticket for $215 in PS “T$” which is basically money that can only be used to buy into other tournments. Who knows I might buy back into the Sunday Million while I’m over in Perth on holidays in Febuary. If not that, I will use the money to buy into lots of EPT satellites.

Multi-tabling Madness

Tonight I thought I’d try out multi-tabling some Holdem on PokerStars. I started out on the waiting lists for 6 tables. Four were $1-$2 Limit Holdem. The other two were .25c-.50c NL Holdem. I had a shocking 100BB losing streak earlier this week playing 50c-$1 NL. So I was keen to grind out some money to get me at least some of the way back to where my bankroll was.

As I started to join more and more tables I was getting more and more frantic with making it to the Fold, Check and Raise buttons for each table. The most I had multi-tabled before was 3 tables. Even worse, all the tables I was playing were high speed tables (dealing and blinds and decision time are really quick). At one stage I considered maybe knocking 1 or 2 tables off to be more comfortable. However I started to realise that because I had less time to make a decision, I found myself playing a lot better poker! I think when I play poker, I seem to want to outplay everyone on every hand. When playing limit this makes my problem even worse. My pre-flop standards went up very quickly (even more so when I had a good hand on another table). I think I’m way to loose preflop in limit poker. Hopefully this session has improved my game just from this one realisation.

I played all 6 tables for about 2.5 hours. I was up for the session (only about 20BB). I don’t know if playing limit and no limit at the same time is a good idea. I’d like to know if other people do this. I can’t see how people multi table more then 6 or 7 tables. At one point I had pocket 10’s, pocket Jacks, and pocket Kings all at the same time. I only won the Kings. I made most of the money on the two no limit tables. I think I will stick to 25c – 50c NL now. It seems like I can beat this level pretty easily so until I make up for the huge loss at .50-1, I will stick to that level.

Aussie Millions Schedule under way

Well the Aussie Millions has offically started in Melbourne and I’m stuck at work like a sucker.  I really feel I should be there.  It has nothing to do with the beat I took in my main satellite into the main event of the Millions.  It just seems like its my countries biggest time for poker where the world is watching. Its a time for aussies to have some pride in our poker.  I should at least be in Melbourne playing some cash games and maybe a smaller $1ooo buy in tourny.  A lot of the posters over at my poker forum site PokerNetwork.com are down there and posting about whats going on.

I’m really jealous of the action thats going on down there.  I’ve been running quite well in poker lately (both cash and tournys).  So its hard to know everything thats going on.  I’ll be watching a lot of the updates from different sites to see if any Queenslanders I know get anywhere.  Hopefully the Aussies can keep most of the money in Australia.

Good luck to anyone who is lucky enough to be there.

Gutted

Tonight I played in the final of the PokerNetwork League. Nine of us started to play for an Aussie Millions seat. It was a deep stack tournment with 5000 chips to start with and 15 minute blinds. I was pretty confident that if I got got OK cards I would have a chance at winning it.

For the first 3 or 4 levels I didn’t have any cards better then K 10. No pairs, no suited connectors. I struggled along getting caught stealing blinds a few times and got down to around 3000. I got dealt aces and managed to get back up to 5000 with those. Not long after that I got KK and an got a nice flop to get up to 6000.

Another level went by and I hit a set of 6’s which I used to get to 7700. I checked a mildy scary river and won the hand. It was at that point I realised I wasn’t being aggresive enough with made hands. I was playing to scared that I would be sucked out on. I changed my play and the next time I picked up a good hand, that exact thing happened. I hit a set of Q’s and got outdrawn to a flush on the river. I still don’t think looking back I played the hand strong enough.

That put me back down to around 5000 where I stayed until the blinds got up to around 300 – 600. I had been up and down and my blind stealing had been doing very well which had enabled me to survive with no hands after the Q’s. After that the blinds rose and it was very hard to steal as people were raising a lot pre-flop. I got blinded down to aroun 3000. Then I called all in with AK to double up to 6000. From there I worked my way up to 8000 and then I got dealt 2 back aces.

Again someone went all in before me and I called. Suited J10. When I first saw the hand it made me a bit uneasy. Thats the kind of hand i’ve cracked a lot of aces with myself. I would have (obviously) much rathered him have a AK or Jack’s or something. After a really good flop I had almost switched off. Until I saw someone call for a Q in the chat box. Just as I realised he had 4 outs to make a runner runner straight on the river, it hit.

I was crippled and down to about 2000 in chips with blinds at 300-600 with a 50 ante. I pushed a couple of times and got one walk on my big blind. Then I pushed with a J high on my small blind into another short stack hoping for a fold. He called and I only had one live card.

That was the end of me finishing 8th. I was really disappointed because I could have made a good run of it if those aces held up. The Aussie Millions would have been a dream to play in and a good little holiday for me as well. I got $250US for 8th which is going to help buy some robotics stuff that I couldn’t have afforded otherwise.

Oh well. I have been on a good upswing in tournments this year so I supposed I can take pride in that. One of my goals for 2007 is to win a seat in a WPT event(or some other 10K+ tourny) so hopefully I’ll get to do some poker travelling some time in 2007.

B…b..b…..b…..BOOYA

Tonight I played in the PokerNetwork Online League #11 ($20 buy in). As I mentioned last post I think Omaha is my best game so I was confident I could get another points cash.  I played very tight, solid poker which isn’t usually how I play Omaha.  Omaha is the type of game that you can play loose and win big pots.  But, if you play that way you have to be prepared to lay some fairly big hands down when you think your beat.

Throughout the tourney I kept up with the player average without taking to many risks until the final 2 tables.

There were 35 starters, but it took a long time to get down to those final 18. It was then I had to start making some big lay downs.  I laid low flushes down on at least 3 occasions, one of which I was shown I was beat.  I seemed to make a lot of straights on paired boards and laid a few of them down as well.  I think this was a turning point in my Omaha play as I wouldn’t have been laying many of those hands down previous to this game. By stealing a few pots now and then it enabled the blinds to not get out of control and I could wait to slow play a flopped boat when it came up.

I played really good poker all the way to getting my first cash of the League when we got down to 4 left.  I was the short stack at that stage with about 10,000 and the other 3 having 18,000 – 30,000.

I made a sick runner runner flush all in to get up in the top 2.  From there I slowed right down until I got heads up.  I started with a 3-1 chip disadvantage and got really lucky hitting at least one more runner runner flush and a huge pot which gave me the lead hitting a 2 outer on the river to make a full house over a made nut flush.

After this the blinds were 10% of both our stacks and rampant blind stealing between us started.  We swapped the lead around 4 times before I called his all in with a wrap around straight draw.  We both hit it and split the pot.  I got him down again and called his all in with a flush draw that never came.

I got a nice run of cards after that and stole a lot of blinds in a row.  When he got short stacked again (and the blinds went up) he pushed on a flop with a flush draw.  I had top pair (I think) and had a feeling I was above 50% if I made this call for the win.  I made the call and he missed his draw.

1st place got me $315 and a good chuck of points which should put me into the top 10 for the league.  The top 10 at the end of the season play for an Aussie Millions seat which would be an absolute dream for me.

Either way I’m free rolling for the rest of the league with my win so I’m stoked about that. The main thing is I know I’m playing good poker against good opponents and if I can get myself to those last 2 tables consistently I will get some results when the cards fall my way.

PokerNetwork.com League Game #10

After missing the last couple of League games over at PokerNetwork I saddled up tonight with a Hold’em game with 47 starters.

None of the bounties (Players if you knock out you get money for) started on my table. I didn’t catch any hands early and was watching one hyper aggressive player raising to 22xBB (Big Blind) pre flop. He was raising every other hand this way too. A normal sized raise for the first 5 levels is 2.5 – 4 BB at most. Any more then that and your in danger of getting pot committed with a medium strength hand right at the beginning of the tournament.

A few people were calling him to the flop and then folding to any bet. You see people play like this now and then and if you get the cards it doesn’t take a very complex play to get all their chips.

Luckily the cards I needed were dealt to me not long after this. Here (Hand History AA) is how I got the chips I needed to get play tight and super aggressive until the 1st break. He had K 10 (a bad play calling my initial raise).

Before the 1st break I got dealt AcQc and made a good call against a player all in for about 1/3 of my stack. He had AJ and got runner runner Q, 10 to make a straight on me.

I got to the first break with about 3500 in chips. I started with 2000.

After the break people started getting short stacked and not many hands weren’t raised and called by multiple people before the flop. I didn’t play many hands and stole a few pots to get up to 4500.

Then my internet connection started going in and out. Really frustrating and was making me play badly because I was always hurried to make a decision with no idea about what was going on.

Because of that I changed gears and started playing a lot slower and didn’t make as many steal plays. The blinds had gotten up there and just before we got down to the final two tables we were playing with a 25 ante as well.

I was just holding on with 3200 (I had been card dead since my high of 4500). The final two tables were 9 handed and to get points for the league I had to get in the top 13.

Short stacks were doubling up all around me as I had to fold my blinds and antes away with pathetic cards.

There were only 15 left and I had 1100. Blinds were at 200 – 400 with a 25 ante. I found pocket 6’s two from the BB and went all in. I was almost hoping for a call when I got one from the BB with 10,2 offsuit.

Boy I didn’t think I’d be in that good of shape! I was shocked that he called with that as he didn’t have many chips left either. The door card was a deuce which had me a little worried. The next two were an 8 and a 10. Another 10 on the turn and that was the end for me.

Two places off the points bubble. I had “points cashed” in the previous 3 events and was about 20th on the leader board.

The next league tournament on Sunday is Omaha. Which I consider my best game. Hopefully I can cash (both points and money) in this one so I can freeroll for the rest of the season.

APL Donkfest

I sat down at the Fitzy’s Australian Poker League Monday night tournament confident about my chances once again. When the TD (Tournament Director) asked first timers to put up their hands, 4 of the 7 other people at my table put them up. Great, more suckouts for me tonight. The TD then pointed out the current Venue Leader which happened to be 2 to my left. A cocky looking guy who was trying to pretend he didn’t know how blinds and the dealing worked. I’m not sure who he was trying to fool (I suppose all the new players), but after you’ve been pointed out by the TD, the jig is up buddy.

Play began slowly (as usual) and I didn’t hit a hand until my first BB (Big Blind). Pocket 7’s. I checked my BB option and saw a flop. Q, 7, A was a nice start for my first played hand. I raised hoping for a Ace to call me. One did and the turn draws a blank. I moved in the rest of my stack as the only player left was a beginner who had been making some awful calls since play started. He still didn’t realise you could fold at any time and when he was about to put the call in I reminded him with urgency that he could fold.

I did this for two reasons. One, if he folded the table would think I was scared of a call and like to move chips around with nothing. Second, he was actually a nice guy and I had been helping him with how to play and didn’t want a conflict of interest. Mind you, if this was a cash game he would most certainly be on his own.

Turned out he folded and I drew in a nice pot. This resulted in a big smirk from the VL and I saw my opportunity for a play at him if a situation would allow.

The cards I was looking for came up on my next BB. Pocket 9’s looked good enough for a small raise. As expected everyone called the raise as no one, I repeat NO ONE in the APL can lay a hand down with chips committed, unless its massive bet.

The flop brang what I was looking for – 9, J, 2.

I checked to the VL (venue leader) who bet at it for 200 (blinds 25-50, starting bank 1500). Another caller (with a runner runner straight/flush draw no doubt) until it folded to me. I knew I was in the lead as the VL’s bet looked weak. I slow played the set and just called. The turn was a blank and I again checked to the VL whilst looking nervous (an obvious reverse tell that a good player would notice). He looked at me and smirked again while throwing a purple $500 chip into the pot. The 3rd player folded quickly and I “went into the tank”. After checking my cards for what must have been the 4th or 5th time, nodding my head up and down like I was counting out a non existent straight draw, I called.

The River offered no flush or straight draw possibilities which only left me behind to a set of jacks. I checked again to him and he bet a small amount (about 200 again I think). I beat him in the pot with an All In raise. He was obviously shocked and yet still couldn’t realize what was happening to him.

He called (I actually had him covered by 100 or so) and stood up, smirked again and walked away mumbling something about “good hand”. This is the main reason I play in the APL. The chances of me getting to the State finals aren’t good and from there the chances to get some money are even worse. There are so many bad calls that its usually reduced to a crap shoot. Even the “regulars” I see at every venue I go to (be it on the Gold Coast or Central Brisbane) have no clue what they are doing.

I got a run of bad beats (which I won’t bore you with – I’m sure there will be enough of them in this blog) which moved me back down to my $1500 starting bank when I was moved to a big stack table with some of the worse bogan players ever. I couldn’t wait to stick my money in with a J,3 on a J,5,6, board. I got called by the guy I was helping. He had a Jack with a Q kicker and that was that.

I later heard my friend got into the money and got a nice beat when his trip J’s with an ace kicker got run down by a full house J’s full of Q’s.