Struggling at FCP
In my last few blog entries, I noted that I was mostly playing at Full Contact Poker -- a Poker Room skin. The site plays just like the Poker Room... I am playing at FCP because I qualified for a $300 sign-up bonus.
My bankroll at this site has been a real roller coaster so far. I initially won about $40, then lost it. Then, I lost even more, getting stuck as far as $80. Then, I fought my way back to even, only to lose it all back in less than 15 hands (of limit poker, no less!!!).
I have not played particularly well at FCP. I am not particularly interested in playing poker right now... in fact, the only game that seems exciting to me are HORSE tournaments at Full Tilt Poker (more later). Even so, I checked my Poker Tracker stats, and I am approximately even playing Hold'em at FCP. That means, if I can manage to play a little better and if I can manage to stay away from 5-Card Draw, then I can probably start grinding out some money at FCP.
I started tonight's session stuck about $15. I opened a $50 NLHE, 6-max table and I played intelligently the entire night, winning about $20. I also played a little 7-stud, winning $4. I played some $1/$2 Limit Hold'em (full-ring), losing $10-$15.
I also played some $50 PL Omaha 8/b. The latter game is usually great for clearing bonuses because the pots often get very very large because of the high/low nature of the game. This is great for generating rake, which helps my bonus clear faster (I played very few hands). In the end, I won about $25 playing Omaha 8/b when I won two big pots during my last five hands.
Winning Hand#1: I was dealt A 3 5 6 (two suits); the flop gave me a draw at the nut low hand. I played it check-call. The turn gave me the nut low hand, and I made a pot-sized raise. When the river was a blank, I made another pot sized bet and my opponent folded, giving me the entire pot.
Winning Hand#2: I was dealt A 2 4 5 (two suits). The flop was 3 4 7 (rainbow), giving me the nut low and draws at some non-nut straights. I made a pot-sized bet and I got called in two spots. The turn was a six (completing the rainbow) and giving me the second best possible hand plus the nut low. I made another pot-sized bet and I was called again in two spots. The river was 10 (no 3-flush on the board) and I pushed all-in with my straight + nut low. I got called in one spot, by an opponent who also held A2. So, I took down 3/4 of a very large pot.
In other news, I have been playing HORSE SNGs at Full Tilt Poker, where my bankroll had once dwindled to as low as $15 (I could always re-load, of course). I decided that it was kind of stupid to play hold'em at Full Tilt, since I can find MUCH softer games elsewhere. So, why play at FTP? The HORSE tournaments, obviously, which are a lot of fun for me.
I have discovered that the HORSE SNGs are profitable also, at least at the $5+0.50 level. I have tried to play one of these whenever I have about 90 minutes of free time. I have actually cashed five straight times, re-building my bankroll up to $40. It's not big money, but I am a horrible tournament player, so this is quite exciting for me. I think that I have a much bigger edge in these HORSE SNGs than other tournaments because I can play four of the five games really well (Hold'em, Omaha 8/b, Razz, 7-stud). I am even getting better at 7-stud 8/b.
I won my last HORSE SNG, even though I was severely short-stacked when it got down to four handed. First, the other short-stack decided to make a desperation all-in and lost. Then, the two big stacks went at each other in two consecutive hands, knocking one of them out. Suddenly, I had backed my way into second place. Luckily, the big stack was a HORRIBLE poker player, and I quickly built myself a 3-to-1 chip advantage. I unfortunately donked it away playing Stud 8/b. I then lost a few pots playing Hold'em, again finding myself with a short-stack playing Omaha 8/b. I then won 5-6 consecutive pots. The last two hands of the SNG involved my opponent capping on the turn and river when I held both the nut low and the nut high (like I said, he was TERRIBLE).
My bankroll at this site has been a real roller coaster so far. I initially won about $40, then lost it. Then, I lost even more, getting stuck as far as $80. Then, I fought my way back to even, only to lose it all back in less than 15 hands (of limit poker, no less!!!).
I have not played particularly well at FCP. I am not particularly interested in playing poker right now... in fact, the only game that seems exciting to me are HORSE tournaments at Full Tilt Poker (more later). Even so, I checked my Poker Tracker stats, and I am approximately even playing Hold'em at FCP. That means, if I can manage to play a little better and if I can manage to stay away from 5-Card Draw, then I can probably start grinding out some money at FCP.
I started tonight's session stuck about $15. I opened a $50 NLHE, 6-max table and I played intelligently the entire night, winning about $20. I also played a little 7-stud, winning $4. I played some $1/$2 Limit Hold'em (full-ring), losing $10-$15.
I also played some $50 PL Omaha 8/b. The latter game is usually great for clearing bonuses because the pots often get very very large because of the high/low nature of the game. This is great for generating rake, which helps my bonus clear faster (I played very few hands). In the end, I won about $25 playing Omaha 8/b when I won two big pots during my last five hands.
Winning Hand#1: I was dealt A 3 5 6 (two suits); the flop gave me a draw at the nut low hand. I played it check-call. The turn gave me the nut low hand, and I made a pot-sized raise. When the river was a blank, I made another pot sized bet and my opponent folded, giving me the entire pot.
Winning Hand#2: I was dealt A 2 4 5 (two suits). The flop was 3 4 7 (rainbow), giving me the nut low and draws at some non-nut straights. I made a pot-sized bet and I got called in two spots. The turn was a six (completing the rainbow) and giving me the second best possible hand plus the nut low. I made another pot-sized bet and I was called again in two spots. The river was 10 (no 3-flush on the board) and I pushed all-in with my straight + nut low. I got called in one spot, by an opponent who also held A2. So, I took down 3/4 of a very large pot.
In other news, I have been playing HORSE SNGs at Full Tilt Poker, where my bankroll had once dwindled to as low as $15 (I could always re-load, of course). I decided that it was kind of stupid to play hold'em at Full Tilt, since I can find MUCH softer games elsewhere. So, why play at FTP? The HORSE tournaments, obviously, which are a lot of fun for me.
I have discovered that the HORSE SNGs are profitable also, at least at the $5+0.50 level. I have tried to play one of these whenever I have about 90 minutes of free time. I have actually cashed five straight times, re-building my bankroll up to $40. It's not big money, but I am a horrible tournament player, so this is quite exciting for me. I think that I have a much bigger edge in these HORSE SNGs than other tournaments because I can play four of the five games really well (Hold'em, Omaha 8/b, Razz, 7-stud). I am even getting better at 7-stud 8/b.
I won my last HORSE SNG, even though I was severely short-stacked when it got down to four handed. First, the other short-stack decided to make a desperation all-in and lost. Then, the two big stacks went at each other in two consecutive hands, knocking one of them out. Suddenly, I had backed my way into second place. Luckily, the big stack was a HORRIBLE poker player, and I quickly built myself a 3-to-1 chip advantage. I unfortunately donked it away playing Stud 8/b. I then lost a few pots playing Hold'em, again finding myself with a short-stack playing Omaha 8/b. I then won 5-6 consecutive pots. The last two hands of the SNG involved my opponent capping on the turn and river when I held both the nut low and the nut high (like I said, he was TERRIBLE).
posted by frazwood at 10:32 PM
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