Weekly Update

I'll be away from the tables most of the weekend, but here is how things stand at the moment.

I reached the SilverStar VIP level just like MrSmith and my luck seems to be improving already - LOL! I cleared 100 games this week and should make the high orbit leader board again for three weeks running. I guess that means I've learned to beat the $1 tables. I've started mixing in some $3.40 games and am running at the same ROI as the $1 games but haven't played enough to really know. I'll be adding in more of these from next week. However, bankroll management will take precedence. In other words, if I go on a losing streak, then I'll drop back down.

Stragegy-wize I've gotten even tighter the early levels. Peviously I would limp with small pairs (77 or lower) from early position even if no one had acted yet. Now I just folding these and sticking more to Moshman's idea that you need two limpers and position to play these profitably. I surprizingly often get ITM without having played a single hand - LOL!

My bubble play has aslo gotten stricter. If I'm the smallest stack I avoid the chipleader with pretty much all hands. Thus I'll fold AQ if facing a raise from the chip leader preflop. On the flip side, in the same situation, I've opened my shoving range into the middle stacks. In other words, stack sizes and the blind sizes have greater importance than my cards on the bubble. Once I'm ITM, then cards play a greater roll. If I think I'm ahead then I'll play against the big stack.

There are very few situations in which I'm flat calling raises preflop. It is more or less reraise (all in) or fold. Reraising minraisers or limpers is very effective.

Here is a random game that I played (my last game actually). I haven't looked through the HH yet, but I'm guessing you will see examples of the points mentioned above.

MrSmith watched me play a set the other day. He also multitabled 6 games himself. Perhaps he has some observations to add. Finally, if I have time I'm going to play the Turbo Takedown on Sunday if anyone has 3K FPPs to burn...

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Roland

A Short Update

I made the High Orbit leader board again. Two weeks in a row now!

http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/battle/mercury/

That sounds impressive, but it isn't that hard. I have been eying the leader board for the lowest buyin division, Mercury, since I started grinding the $1.20 tables. Basically, if you can manage to have a positive ROI over 100 games, then you will have enough points to make the high orbit leader board. I'm running about 15% ROI over since I started with these a few weeks ago (about 400 games).

The nice thing is that the bonus for making the leader board more or less offsets the 20% fee.

The top 100 get paid on the Mercury leader board, but only the top 40 (or less) get paid on the higher buyin boards.

If I manage to play another 100 games this week, I'll have enough points to become a Silverstar VIP just like MrSmith.

I'm not getting rich playing these low stakes games, but I have corrected a number of leaks in my game. There is much more post flop play in these regular speed tourneys than in the turbos. So, I'm more careful early and can easlily fold QQ+ hands post flop in bad situations. However, I've probably gotten more aggressive on the bubble. If I have the shortest stack, I'll often shove into the middle stacks with a very wide range assuming they will fold about 90% of the time. I also see that 3 betting works great at this level if you dare. Another week of the $1.20 tables and I should be ready to take a shot at the 3.40 tables....

Roland

Poker Software

Anyone have any experience with Poker Office or Poker Tracker? I was thinking of giving one or both a try.

AJs Question

Here is the situation:

It is early in a $1.10 forty man F40 tourney standard blind speed. These things are filled with superdonks and higher buyin regulars looking to cash in on the F40 bonus. Blinds are at 25/50 a Silverstar utg raises 4x to 200. Three players call around to me in the small blind with AJs. I have 1440 chips. The silverstar hasn’t made any noticably donk moves so I assume he has a pocket pair or AQs+. The three callers are presumably loose-passive donks and could have ATC.

I hate calling raises with marginal As and I hate even more playing this hand out of position at a full table. Normally, so early in the game I’ll fold this hand. However, there is 875 in the pot and it costs me 175 to call with only the bb left to act. Furthermore, this is an MTT so I need to accumulate chips. Finally, I confident I’ll get paid if I can land a flush and it is easy to toss the hand if the flop in unfavorable.

There are plenty of good reasons to fold here and plenty of good reasons to call. So early in the game I’m not going to risk an all in reraise. It would probably result in a long string of callers even though I may just have the best hand at the moment.

What line would you take?

Roland

A chip and a Chair

The following hand history is taken from the last $1.20 single table sng in my set last night. The action picks up a few hands into heads up play. I don't think there is much to be learned from this game, but it was rather fun nonetheless.

Roland

AKo Question

Here is the situation. 6 players remaining in a single table $3.40 sng regular speed. There are two big stacks and the rest of us are hovering around 1500 chips still. We have played 37 hands. I've limped a few pocket pairs and folded on the flop. And I completed from the sb once with suited connectors, bet the flop and turn after hitting a straight and won the pot without a showdown. In other words, I haven't raised pf a single hand yet. Now, the blinds are at 25/50 but going up in a minute. The action folds to me in midposition and I look down to see AKo. I raise to 150 and it folds around to the bb. He seems as tight as me and hasn't raised a hand yet either. Our stacks are about equal. He reraises to 400.

I'm pretty confident that he does have a premium hand and is not bluffing. I put him on a 1010+ range (top 5%). I have about 1250 chips. There is 625 in the pot and it will cost me 250 to call. Pokerstove puts AKo vs top 5% at 49/51 in his favor, but there is already 625 in the pot.

What is the best line here: fold, call or shove?

Thanks for any input

Roland

Set of Aces Cracked

This was the very first hand of the heads up portion of a $25 6-max. I would have felt sorrier for my opponent if he hadn't seemed so incredulous at the outcome!

Private Game Standings

After two rounds the standings are very tight:

MrSmith 11

Roland 8

MrEMC 8

Seabreeze 7

Klokkhammer 6

Benkogambit 2

Wollmar 1

NOR 0

It is early in the season, but right now those silver stars look well deserved MrSmith ...

Roland

Hand history private game Monday 15/2-2010

Don't forget our game tonight...

I have played a bunch of $1.20 single table sngs lately. The fee is way too high, but I'm still making a profit running about 20% ROI after 300+ games. Check out the High Orbit nr 69 from last week's leader board :)

http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/battle/mercury/

I have had a lot of ups and downs including 6 AA all in losses in a row, but I also beat AA several times with a lower pair. My favorite suck out win being when my 88 short stack shove landed QUADS on the river beating his AA set on the flop - LOL! Here is a replay of one of the games I would prefer to forget...

(Replayer isn't working at the moment. I'll post it later)

See you tonight!

Roland

Next Private Game

UPDATE: I confirm that the game is on for Monday (sorry benko!). Now get on over to Pstars and register...

The next private game is set up for Monday, February 15th. Sunday is Valentine's Day, so I moved the game to the day after. If this date is bad let me know!

On another note, I am taking a break from the multi-table turbos and am going to be focusing on bankroll building through single table play for the next month or two. Grinding 12 at a time is kinda fun :)

Roland

Story continued..

I tried to put my comments in your text Roland, but did not manage. So, instead of commenting your text I will continue the story with my version...

I was really worried when I ended in the table with MrSmith, MrEMC2,Nor69, and the first winner of our yearly tournament ever - not to be mentioned by name. MrEMC2 quickly dominated our table, and soon both NOR69 and MrSmith were healthy as well. I managed to almost double in a flush with the Ace on my hand vs another flush. This was against an unknown player, but he soon paid back with a critical hand were I lost 2/3 of my chips in a flush were I had two diamonds and the third diamond appeared on the turn. The player hid his emotions well, and I almost got all-in when the river was in different colour. Luckily I held back, and he simply called with two higher diamonds. I was really close to loose everything on that one! After that I was in trouble, and was very relieved when Roland managed to get the needed player away form the other table in a dramatic hand (three players all-in).

In the final table I was 7th and went down to 8th position. Probably had 20 hand without seeing an ace or king, so when AJ appeared UTG first time, I got called by one of the chip leaders and won. This gave me breathing space, but then again I was short and went all-in UTG with QJs and got called by Rolands Ax! That was quite brutal as I ended up with a flush on the river. It was not nice to beat the host like that, but it was your choice to call an all-in Roland :)

From there it went better. The cards started to appear, and players went out. I have to comment on MrSmiths hand which was right move, but "right result" as well. He went all-in with an K8 and I was last to act with an KK! Very unlucky for MrSmith who was on the bubble.

At this stage I could dominate with huge stack and good cards! I raised and called several bets I do not normally act on, but I felt I could do it with a big stack. The most cruel hand I won was the A7 vs A10 against MrEMC2 forcing him to the third spot. Then I was heads up with a new "and very good player" simply going all-in on almost any bet since I had such a huge stack. Lost the first one, but won the final with 65 vs two overcards. Not very elegant, but I guess I could afford to do it like that. It helps with a bit of luck!

The rest of the evening I lost, so in the end we all had fun - and I think most of the regulars ended on the positive side or close to balance.

Thank you for a great evening Roland!

Klokkhammer

And the big winner was....

Envelope please!

Congratulations go to Klokkhammer who took down his 3rd main event title! Well Played!

Saturday was the best live game we have ever had! All the guys seemed quite satisfied with the chili I served and all the poker. Running two tables was quite easy thanks in large part to MrSmith. He ran his table without any complaints and the two card shufflers he gave me as a birthday present were a huge hit, not to mention time saver. He also snagged a 12th player for us on very short notice. Thanks for all the help MrSmith!

As you know, Klokkhammer flew in for the event. Thanks for making the effort to come. Sorry about breakfast! It turned out to be money well spent although things were looking bleak for him most of the evening. Players were randomly seated except for the table bosses. MrSmith had klokkhammer, MrEMC2 and Nor69 at his table! The action was heavy from the start with several rebuys early on. I heard klokkhammer mention that he was worried about surviving through the rebuy period. Hopefully he can tell us what happened.

My table was a bit softer and a bit tighter. I played my standard ABC game. I played only 1 hand out of the first 20 and doubled up after nailing my straight. I also folded the best hand in a big multiway pot. The flop was Q high with three clubs on the board. I had JJ and postion. First to act moved all in, Wollmar then moved all in putting the action to me. I felt confident that I was ahead, but with two cards to come, the board was just too wet. I folded and missed out on winning half the chips at my table. I had twice the stack of them both so I could have called and still survived...

Well, not much else happened until we got to the final table. All the regulars made it there, but Klokkhammer and I soon found ourselves short stacked. He was about to get blinded out and moved all in utg. I was just as desperate and also moved all in holding A10. I had the best hand preflop but bricked every street. Klokkhammer caught a lucky card on the river to send me to the rail in 7th place I think. NH!

The other players started several side games at the second table.

Klokkhammer stuggled for a while longer but finally started to get some cards and catch some flops gaining a nice stack. MrSmith was short I think and ended up making a right move, wrong result bubble boy play. Klokkhammer was itm with a huge stack vs MrEMC2 and another friend who has also won a home game. Klokk put his stack to good use and ended up winning it all. Congrats again on a well deserved win!

We started a new game after that with 5 players from our private games. Things went my way this time and I scooped up a nice 1st place giving me a small profit for the evening. I also got revenge on MrSmith in the process. Sorry buddy!

Then since it was only 4:30 am we decided it was smart to play another tourney - LOL! Hyper tubo with 4 players. MrE won that one GG!

There were plenty of exciting hands and ups and downs all evening. I think everyone had a great time. I know I did! Thanks guys :)

I'll be posting our next Private game tonight.

Roland