Magic Carpet Ride
Perhaps this blog is mistitled... it should probably read "Roller Coaster Ride" but I like "Magic Carpet Ride" better -- but as I am fond of saying, it's my blog and I'll write whatever I want.
I had a really good day at the tables on Friday. I started out by winning the biggest pot I've ever won in poker. I logged onto Party Poker in the early morning, but couldn't find an open spot in a $5/$10 limit hold'em game (non-MONSTER). So, I looked for a game at $10/$20, where I've been splashing around a bit. No luck there, either. Continuing my search, I found a nice table at $15/$30 with a cozy seat just waiting for me.
I posted my blind of $15 (gulp!) and folded to a raise and a re-raise. I also folded my $10 small blind to a raise and a re-raise. So, I am now stuck $25 and I haven't even seen a flop. Suddenly, I realize that I am playing way above my bankroll, especially considering the sharks that are seemingly lurking everywhere.
The next hand, I am dealt 88 on the button. I promise myself to play the hand aggressively, but to quit the game after this orbit. It's folded to the cutoff who raises, so I re-raise. The blinds fold and the cutoff calls. The flop is "OK": T 9 7 (rainbow). The cutoff checks; I bet; he calls. The turn is another T. The cutoff checks; I bet; he calls. I think that I am ahead here, but I plan to check the river unless.... the river is an eight... The river: 8. GIN! Curiously, the cutoff comes out firing but merely calls my raise. He turns over JQo and I rake in a $322 pot. I fold the next two hands and I go home.
Following that nice win at $15/$30, I won a few more bucks at $5/$10, so that my bankroll was doing quite nicely entering the weekend. Unfortunately, I decided to start playing like a donkey and I lost abot $300 on Saturday night. I kept calling raises with weak hands and trying to run over call stations. I also lost a $160 pot (this was no limit) when I pushed all-in with AQ on a flop of A 5 5. My opponent was all too happy to call with AK. Doh!
Last night, I decided to play better. I decided to play tight-aggressive, limiting the number of hands that I played and being VERY careful about calling raises. Unfortunately, this is a very boring way to play, even short-handed. So, I started playing a few hands that I shouldn't... and I decided that a solution to my boredom problem would be to open a second table. I've had bad luck playing two tables at $5/$10, but I rationalized that I could do it successfully if I was playing tight. Strangely, my reasoning seemed to work. I played very few hands and I played them well. I won a decent amount on one table and a very good amount at the other. I might have to try this strategy again sometime (soon).
After that, I logged onto Full Tilt Poker, hoping to play a $5 or $10 heads-up HORSE SNG. I love these, especially since I am undefeated so far. I was quite happy to notice a guy waiting in one of the games... but it was a $50 SNG (Gulp!). Considering that I only have $105 in my account, this was a bit much for me. Plus, I figured that this guy might actually be a bit better than my previous HORSE opponents. Rationalizing that I had money elsewhere in the online world, I bought into the game, announcing to my wife that she was married to a stupid idiot (she sublimely nodded in agreement).
I started out the game playing loose-aggressive, which was a good strategy against my VERY TIGHT opponent. Unfortunately, the guy started catching cards galore and quickly got himself a large lead (around 2200 vs 800). I slowed down a bit, but he still kept catching cards. We finished hold'em with me in dire straits (2500 vs. 500). My opponent loosened up a bit and started playing a few more hands in Omaha 8/b, but he still kept catching cards. One hand that I remember is when I had him scooped on the turn with the nut-flush plus the nut-low. This was a huge pot, having been capped on the flop and 3-bet on the turn. Unfortunately, the board paired on the river, giving him a full house (he had flopped top set) and we split the pot. I kept thinking that the cards would have to even out, but that I might not last long enough for it to happen.
When the game moved to Razz, I simply ran him over. Anytime that his up card was worse than mine, I raised; and 90% of the time, he folded. I eventually won a huge pot when I made a 7-low on fifth street while he was drawing to an 8-low. He hit his hand on the river and I bet until I was all-in. Raking in this pot gave me enough chips to play "my game". Next, I totally dominated him playing 7-stud. He started complaining about me catching good cards, but I honestly think that I outplayed him. I had a simple strategy: bet when I thought that I had the best hand; fold when I thought he had the best hand. So, I was winning bit pots, losing small pots. We finished 7-stud with me ahead about 2000 vs. 1000.
When the game moved to Stud 8/b, I slowed down a lot considering that this is my worst game. We played it essentially even, except for a big pot that I scooped when I had a 6-high straight on fifth street and he called me to the river with two-pair (no low).
So, we came back to hold'em with me up big: 2700 vs. 300. The first hand, we essentially pushed all-in preflop with ATs (me) vs. Q7s (him), but he caught a seven on the river to stay alive. I won a few small pots after that when the final hand happened. I called a raise preflop with K7. The flop gave me middle pair and I raised him all-in (he was short-stacked). He turned over QQ, but a king came on the turn, giving me the win.
In conclusion, I am sure that I will soon go on a losing streak with these HORSE SNGs... variance is sure to catch up to me.
I had a really good day at the tables on Friday. I started out by winning the biggest pot I've ever won in poker. I logged onto Party Poker in the early morning, but couldn't find an open spot in a $5/$10 limit hold'em game (non-MONSTER). So, I looked for a game at $10/$20, where I've been splashing around a bit. No luck there, either. Continuing my search, I found a nice table at $15/$30 with a cozy seat just waiting for me.
I posted my blind of $15 (gulp!) and folded to a raise and a re-raise. I also folded my $10 small blind to a raise and a re-raise. So, I am now stuck $25 and I haven't even seen a flop. Suddenly, I realize that I am playing way above my bankroll, especially considering the sharks that are seemingly lurking everywhere.
The next hand, I am dealt 88 on the button. I promise myself to play the hand aggressively, but to quit the game after this orbit. It's folded to the cutoff who raises, so I re-raise. The blinds fold and the cutoff calls. The flop is "OK": T 9 7 (rainbow). The cutoff checks; I bet; he calls. The turn is another T. The cutoff checks; I bet; he calls. I think that I am ahead here, but I plan to check the river unless.... the river is an eight... The river: 8. GIN! Curiously, the cutoff comes out firing but merely calls my raise. He turns over JQo and I rake in a $322 pot. I fold the next two hands and I go home.
Following that nice win at $15/$30, I won a few more bucks at $5/$10, so that my bankroll was doing quite nicely entering the weekend. Unfortunately, I decided to start playing like a donkey and I lost abot $300 on Saturday night. I kept calling raises with weak hands and trying to run over call stations. I also lost a $160 pot (this was no limit) when I pushed all-in with AQ on a flop of A 5 5. My opponent was all too happy to call with AK. Doh!
Last night, I decided to play better. I decided to play tight-aggressive, limiting the number of hands that I played and being VERY careful about calling raises. Unfortunately, this is a very boring way to play, even short-handed. So, I started playing a few hands that I shouldn't... and I decided that a solution to my boredom problem would be to open a second table. I've had bad luck playing two tables at $5/$10, but I rationalized that I could do it successfully if I was playing tight. Strangely, my reasoning seemed to work. I played very few hands and I played them well. I won a decent amount on one table and a very good amount at the other. I might have to try this strategy again sometime (soon).
After that, I logged onto Full Tilt Poker, hoping to play a $5 or $10 heads-up HORSE SNG. I love these, especially since I am undefeated so far. I was quite happy to notice a guy waiting in one of the games... but it was a $50 SNG (Gulp!). Considering that I only have $105 in my account, this was a bit much for me. Plus, I figured that this guy might actually be a bit better than my previous HORSE opponents. Rationalizing that I had money elsewhere in the online world, I bought into the game, announcing to my wife that she was married to a stupid idiot (she sublimely nodded in agreement).
I started out the game playing loose-aggressive, which was a good strategy against my VERY TIGHT opponent. Unfortunately, the guy started catching cards galore and quickly got himself a large lead (around 2200 vs 800). I slowed down a bit, but he still kept catching cards. We finished hold'em with me in dire straits (2500 vs. 500). My opponent loosened up a bit and started playing a few more hands in Omaha 8/b, but he still kept catching cards. One hand that I remember is when I had him scooped on the turn with the nut-flush plus the nut-low. This was a huge pot, having been capped on the flop and 3-bet on the turn. Unfortunately, the board paired on the river, giving him a full house (he had flopped top set) and we split the pot. I kept thinking that the cards would have to even out, but that I might not last long enough for it to happen.
When the game moved to Razz, I simply ran him over. Anytime that his up card was worse than mine, I raised; and 90% of the time, he folded. I eventually won a huge pot when I made a 7-low on fifth street while he was drawing to an 8-low. He hit his hand on the river and I bet until I was all-in. Raking in this pot gave me enough chips to play "my game". Next, I totally dominated him playing 7-stud. He started complaining about me catching good cards, but I honestly think that I outplayed him. I had a simple strategy: bet when I thought that I had the best hand; fold when I thought he had the best hand. So, I was winning bit pots, losing small pots. We finished 7-stud with me ahead about 2000 vs. 1000.
When the game moved to Stud 8/b, I slowed down a lot considering that this is my worst game. We played it essentially even, except for a big pot that I scooped when I had a 6-high straight on fifth street and he called me to the river with two-pair (no low).
So, we came back to hold'em with me up big: 2700 vs. 300. The first hand, we essentially pushed all-in preflop with ATs (me) vs. Q7s (him), but he caught a seven on the river to stay alive. I won a few small pots after that when the final hand happened. I called a raise preflop with K7. The flop gave me middle pair and I raised him all-in (he was short-stacked). He turned over QQ, but a king came on the turn, giving me the win.
In conclusion, I am sure that I will soon go on a losing streak with these HORSE SNGs... variance is sure to catch up to me.
posted by frazwood at 7:17 AM
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