This post is for me (more so than most of my others) ...

Dear Bill,

When you are focused and trust your instincts, you get results like this:

Eurolinx Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $1/$2
4 players

Stack sizes:
LearsFool: $250.65
Button: $578.94
SB: $211.47
BB: $188.16

Pre-flop: (4 players) LearsFool is UTG with :ah :ad
LearsFool raises to $6, 2 folds, BB calls $4 (pot was $9).

Flop: :kd :5d :9d ($13, 2 players)
BB checks, LearsFool bets $10, BB calls $10 (pot was $23).

Turn: :8c ($33, 2 players)
BB checks, LearsFool checks.

River: :5s ($33, 2 players)
BB bets $10, LearsFool calls $10 (pot was $43).

Results:
Final pot: $53
BB shows :Td :7d

Labels: Eurolinx, Hand Histories, Online Poker

This is the Eurolinx I remember:

#Game No : 196164008
***** Hand History for Game 196164008 *****
<< [table size: 6]
$0.50/$1.00 NL Texas Hold'em - Tue, Dec 05, 01:44:50 2006
Table Just Satisfied (Real Money)
Seat 1 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: sidtyler_ ($20.00)
Seat 2: ogurt ($106.45)
Seat 3: aiiit ($144.40)
Seat 4: OfGilead ($89.50)
Seat 5: LearsFool ($109.65)
Seat 6: Abstinent ($101.45)
ogurt posts small blind [$0.50]
aiiit posts big blind [$1.00]
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to LearsFool
:Ac :Kh
OfGilead folds, LearsFool raises [$3.00], Abstinent folds, sidtyler_ folds,
ogurt folds, aiiit calls [$2.00]

** Dealing Flop **
:7s :Qh :Kc
aiiit bets [$4.00], LearsFool calls [$4.00],

** Dealing Turn **
:Ks
aiiit bets [$5.00], LearsFool raises [$10.00], aiiit calls [$5.00],

** Dealing River **
:8s
aiiit bets [$38.00], LearsFool raises [$76.00], aiiit is all-In [$89.40], LearsFool is all-In [$16.65]
aiiit is refunded uncalled bet $34.75

aiiit shows
:9s :Qs
(a Flush)

LearsFool shows
:Ac :Kh
(Three of a Kind, Kings)

aiiit wins $216.80 from main pot

Labels: Eurolinx, Hand Histories, Online Poker

Flopped some great hands in a quick session and faced some very scary boards, but luckily everything held. I'm posting highlights in raw format (converter is flaky) . Once again the luck seems to be evening out for me on this wonderful site. I've hit my stride.

#Game No : 195701876
***** Hand History for Game 195701876 *****
<< [table size: 6]
$0.50/$1.00 NL Texas Hold'em - Mon, Dec 04, 14:05:06 2006
Table Tainan Go Go 2 (Real Money)
Seat 6 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: eppee ($64.70)
Seat 2: King_Diamond ($100.00)
Seat 3: Krullbob ($30.88)
Seat 4: Peterkrab ($34.41)
Seat 5: Ulostfool ($133.50)
Seat 6: LearsFool ($98.50)
eppee posts small blind [$0.50]
King_Diamond posts big blind [$1.00]
Peterkrab posts small blind [$0.50]
Peterkrab posts big blind [$1.00]
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to LearsFool [ Qh Tc ]
Krullbob folds
Peterkrab checks
Ulostfool folds
LearsFool raises [$3.00]
eppee folds
King_Diamond folds
Peterkrab calls [$2.00]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 3d Qs Jc ]
Peterkrab checks
LearsFool bets [$5.00]
Peterkrab folds
LearsFool is refunded uncalled bet $5.00
LearsFool does not show cards.
LearsFool wins $7.60 from the main pot


#Game No : 195703317
***** Hand History for Game 195703317 *****
<< [table size: 6]
$0.50/$1.00 NL Texas Hold'em - Mon, Dec 04, 14:07:09 2006
Table Tainan Go Go 2 (Real Money)
Seat 4 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: eppee ($65.70)
Seat 2: King_Diamond ($100.00)
Seat 3: Krullbob ($59.76)
Seat 4: Peterkrab ($29.41)
Seat 5: Ulostfool ($132.50)
Seat 6: LearsFool ($103.10)
Ulostfool posts small blind [$0.50]
LearsFool posts big blind [$1.00]
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to LearsFool [ 6s 8h ]
eppee folds
King_Diamond folds
Krullbob raises [$3.00]
Peterkrab folds
Ulostfool folds
LearsFool calls [$2.00]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 6c Ks Jc ]
LearsFool bets [$4.00]
Krullbob folds
LearsFool is refunded uncalled bet $4.00
LearsFool does not show cards.
LearsFool wins $6.20 from the main pot

#Game No : 195703733
***** Hand History for Game 195703733 *****
<< [table size: 6]
$0.50/$1.00 NL Texas Hold'em - Mon, Dec 04, 14:07:49 2006
Table Tainan Go Go 2 (Real Money)
Seat 6 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: eppee ($66.20)
Seat 2: King_Diamond ($100.00)
Seat 3: Krullbob ($56.76)
Seat 4: Peterkrab ($29.41)
Seat 5: Ulostfool ($132.00)
Seat 6: LearsFool ($105.80)
eppee posts small blind [$0.50]
King_Diamond posts big blind [$1.00]
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to LearsFool [ 7s 4d ]
Krullbob folds
Peterkrab folds
Ulostfool folds
LearsFool raises [$3.00]
eppee calls [$2.50]
King_Diamond calls [$2.00]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 6d 8c 5h ]
eppee checks
King_Diamond bets [$9.00]
LearsFool raises [$20.00]
eppee folds
King_Diamond raises [$22.00]
LearsFool calls [$11.00]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 8d ]
King_Diamond bets [$22.50]
LearsFool calls [$22.50]
** Dealing River ** [ 5d ]
King_Diamond checks
LearsFool checks
King_Diamond shows [ Jd Jh ] Two Pair, Jacks and Eights
LearsFool shows [ 7s 4d ] a Straight, Eight high
LearsFool wins $113.00 from the main pot


#Game No : 195704783
***** Hand History for Game 195704783 *****
<< [table size: 6]
$0.50/$1.00 NL Texas Hold'em - Mon, Dec 04, 14:09:45 2006
Table Tainan Go Go 2 (Real Money)
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: eppee ($63.20)
Seat 2: King_Diamond ($99.50)
Seat 3: Krullbob ($55.16)
Seat 4: Peterkrab ($31.11)
Seat 5: Ulostfool ($132.00)
Seat 6: LearsFool ($162.30)
Peterkrab posts small blind [$0.50]
Ulostfool posts big blind [$1.00]
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to LearsFool [ Jh Jc ]
LearsFool calls [$1.00]
eppee raises [$3.00]
King_Diamond folds
Krullbob calls [$3.00]
Peterkrab folds
Ulostfool folds
LearsFool calls [$2.00]
** Dealing Flop ** [ Td Qd Jd ]
LearsFool checks
eppee bets [$8.00]
Krullbob folds
LearsFool raises [$24.00]
eppee calls [$16.00]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 3d ]
LearsFool checks
eppee checks
** Dealing River ** [ 9s ]
LearsFool checks
eppee checks
LearsFool shows [ Jh Jc ] Three of a Kind, Jacks
eppee does not show cards.
LearsFool wins $55.60 from the main pot

#Game No : 195705726
***** Hand History for Game 195705726 *****
<< [table size: 6]
$0.50/$1.00 NL Texas Hold'em - Mon, Dec 04, 14:10:47 2006
Table Tainan Go Go 2 (Real Money)
Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: eppee ($36.20)
Seat 2: King_Diamond ($99.50)
Seat 3: Krullbob ($53.66)
Seat 4: Peterkrab ($30.61)
Seat 5: Ulostfool ($130.50)
Seat 6: LearsFool ($189.90)
LearsFool posts small blind [$0.50]
eppee posts big blind [$1.00]
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to LearsFool [ As Td ]
King_Diamond folds
Krullbob folds
Peterkrab folds
Ulostfool folds
LearsFool raises [$2.50]
eppee folds
LearsFool is refunded uncalled bet $2.00
LearsFool does not show cards.
LearsFool wins $2.00 from the main pot

#Game No : 195706295
***** Hand History for Game 195706295 *****
<< [table size: 6]
$0.50/$1.00 NL Texas Hold'em - Mon, Dec 04, 14:11:56 2006
Table Tainan Go Go 2 (Real Money)
Seat 2 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: eppee ($34.70)
Seat 2: King_Diamond ($98.00)
Seat 3: Krullbob ($51.01)
Seat 4: Peterkrab ($29.61)
Seat 5: Ulostfool ($135.45)
Seat 6: LearsFool ($190.90)
Krullbob posts small blind [$0.50]
Peterkrab posts big blind [$1.00]
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to LearsFool [ Kc Kd ]
Ulostfool calls [$1.00]
LearsFool raises [$3.00]
eppee folds
King_Diamond calls [$3.00]
Krullbob calls [$2.50]
Peterkrab folds
Ulostfool calls [$2.00]
** Dealing Flop ** [ Ks 6d 2s ]
Krullbob checks
Ulostfool bets [$12.00]
LearsFool raises [$30.00]
King_Diamond folds
Krullbob folds
Ulostfool folds
LearsFool is refunded uncalled bet $18.00
LearsFool does not show cards.
LearsFool wins $35.15 from the main pot

#Game No : 195707368
***** Hand History for Game 195707368 *****
<< [table size: 6]
$0.50/$1.00 NL Texas Hold'em - Mon, Dec 04, 14:13:20 2006
Table Tainan Go Go 2 (Real Money)
Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: eppee ($34.70)
Seat 2: King_Diamond ($96.40)
Seat 3: Krullbob ($49.41)
Seat 4: Peterkrab ($28.11)
Seat 5: Ulostfool ($118.95)
Seat 6: LearsFool ($210.05)
LearsFool posts small blind [$0.50]
eppee posts big blind [$1.00]
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to LearsFool [ Qh Qs ]
King_Diamond folds
Krullbob calls [$1.00]
Peterkrab raises [$3.00]
Ulostfool folds
LearsFool calls [$2.50]
eppee folds
Krullbob calls [$2.00]
** Dealing Flop ** [ Qc Ad 6c ]
LearsFool checks
Krullbob checks
Peterkrab checks
** Dealing Turn ** [ 2h ]
LearsFool bets [$6.00]
Krullbob calls [$6.00]
Peterkrab calls [$6.00]
** Dealing River ** [ Kd ]
LearsFool bets [$10.00]
Krullbob folds
Peterkrab folds
LearsFool is refunded uncalled bet $10.00
LearsFool does not show cards.
LearsFool wins $26.60 from the main pot

#Game No : 195708888
***** Hand History for Game 195708888 *****
<< [table size: 6]
$0.50/$1.00 NL Texas Hold'em - Mon, Dec 04, 14:15:45 2006
Table Tainan Go Go 2 (Real Money)
Seat 2 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: eppee ($27.20)
Seat 2: King_Diamond ($94.90)
Seat 3: Krullbob ($46.31)
Seat 4: Peterkrab ($19.11)
Seat 5: Ulostfool ($136.60)
Seat 6: LearsFool ($209.65)
Krullbob posts small blind [$0.50]
Peterkrab posts big blind [$1.00]
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to LearsFool [ Jd Ks ]
Ulostfool folds
LearsFool raises [$3.00]
eppee folds
King_Diamond folds
Krullbob calls [$2.50]
Peterkrab folds
** Dealing Flop ** [ Js 5s Tc ]
Krullbob checks
LearsFool bets [$5.00]
Krullbob folds
LearsFool is refunded uncalled bet $5.00
LearsFool does not show cards.
LearsFool wins $6.65 from the main pot

Labels: Eurolinx, Hand Histories, Online Poker

After suffering through so many bad beats and cold decks at Eurolinx, this new challenge seems to have provided me with the opportunity to cold deck and bad beat others for a change. Check out the following hands (sorry converter is down right now):

Eurolinx Poker
$0.50/$1.00 NL Texas Hold'em

Seat 1 is the button
Total number of players : 5

Seat 1: LearsFool ($132.38)
Seat 2: CkA_1988 ($100.00)
Seat 3: PokerSkurt ($61.90)
Seat 4: crazynewf ($117.35)
Seat 5: tossitBB ($183.45)

PreFlop:
PokerSkurt posts small blind [$0.50]
crazynewf posts big blind [$1.00]

Dealt to LearsFool :Kc :Kd
tossitBB folds, LearsFool raises [$3.00], PokerSkurt calls [$2.50], crazynewf folds

Flop: :9d :Kh :2h
PokerSkurt checks, LearsFool bets [$5.00], PokerSkurt calls [$5.00]

Turn: :2s
PokerSkurt checks, LearsFool checks

River: :Ah
PokerSkurt bets [$7.00], LearsFool is all-In [$124.38], PokerSkurt is all-In [$46.90]
LearsFool is refunded uncalled bet $70.48

Result:
PokerSkurt shows :9s :9h a Full House, Nines full of Deuces
LearsFool shows :Kc :Kd a Full House, Kings full of Deuces
LearsFool wins $122.80 from main pot

Then in another session...

EuroLinx
$0.50/$1.00 NL Texas Hold'em

Seat 2 is the button
Total number of players : 6

Seat 1: OfGilead ($109.45)
Seat 2: LearsFool ($93.60)
Seat 3: Acedii ($365.68)
Seat 4: Ghost-Dog ($49.50)
Seat 5: BTNH ($80.10)
Seat 6: magic70 ($35.40)

PreFlop:
Acedii posts small blind [$0.50]
Ghost-Dog posts big blind [$1.00]

Dealt to LearsFool :5s :5d
BTNH raises [$4.00], magic70 folds, OfGilead folds, LearsFool calls [$4.00], Acedii folds, Ghost-Dog folds

Flop: :Th :6s :8h
BTNH bets [$6.00], LearsFool calls [$6.00]

Turn: :5h
BTNH bets [$12.00], LearsFool calls [$12.00]

River: :5c
BTNH checks, LearsFool is all-In [$71.60], BTNH is all-In [$58.10]
LearsFool is refunded uncalled bet $13.50

Result:
BTNH shows :Ks :Kc Two Pair, Kings and Fives
LearsFool shows :5s :5d Four of a Kind, Fives
LearsFool wins $158.70 from main pot

... and a few hands later....

Eurolinx
$0.50/$1.00 NL Texas Hold'em

Seat 6 is the button
Total number of players : 6

Seat 1: OfGilead ($108.85)
Seat 2: LearsFool ($176.35)
Seat 3: Acedii ($365.18)
Seat 4: Ghost-Dog ($48.90)
Seat 5: BTNH ($99.90)
Seat 6: magic70 ($30.80)

PreFlop:
OfGilead posts small blind [$0.50]
LearsFool posts big blind [$1.00]

Dealt to LearsFool :6d :Td
Acedii folds, Ghost-Dog folds, BTNH raises [$4.00], magic70 folds, OfGilead folds, LearsFool calls [$3.00]

Flop: :Kd :Qd :2d
LearsFool checks, BTNH bets [$6.00], LearsFool calls [$6.00],

Turn: :Ah
LearsFool checks, BTNH bets [$16.00], LearsFool raises [$32.00], BTNH is all-In [$73.90], LearsFool calls [$57.90]


River: :9h
LearsFool shows :6d :Td a Flush
BTNH shows :4d :3d a Flush
LearsFool wins $197.30 from main pot

Labels: Cold Deck, Eurolinx, Hand Histories, Sick

Now that I have gone through Tuesday's session in some detail, I guess it's time to talk about Wednesday. I won't do a hand for hand analysis here as I think a general review of the session will serve my purposes just fine and the bottom line is I just don't have the time to go through it all that thoroughly.

Last Wednesday, like I do almost every Wednesday, I went to one of the local clubs to play in a 60$ NL Freezeout Tournament. I had a rough go at the tourney and finally busted out on a hand when the BB left the table and the action folded to the button who was hyper aggressive and had accumulated the chip lead. He raised to 250 with the blinds at 40/80 and I pushed my last 1200 in with AQ off suit. I figured he was stealing so I thought it was a good time to pick up some chips. He called me with KT suited. He said he figured I was trying to re-steal and I could have any two cards which is generally true, except against a LAG chip leader I'm not gonna pull a move with garbage. I know there's a better chance I will be called by him than if I was against a tighter player with fewer chips. Anyway, King hits the flop and I don't catch up. So, I bust out early and hop into the cash game.

As usual this was a 10-handed 1$/2$ NL Holdem game. I had a rough go of it as well. One guy in particular just had my number. On a board of 3-9-4-9-8 rainbow I had J9 and he had pocket 3s. Then on a board of Q-8-2-8-J, I had QJ and he had 8T. I also had to fold a low straight when it became clear I was beat. And with pocket Kings I called a raise from the SB and ended up in a 3 way pot with the original raiser and the BB. The flop came Ace high. I checked. The preflop raiser bet and the caller raised. I folded.

So, after all this, my original 200$ buy-in had eroded down to 85$ and I was a little frustrated. I got impatient and when an EP player made it 7$ to go and got 4 callers, I moved in from the SB with AJ suited. I got called in two spots by AQ and TT. The tens held. People have a hard time folding in this game and I shouldn't make moves like that. On the other hand, I think a pro might figure me for a move in that spot and call me with a less than premium hand too. So, it was a bad play on my part. I need a tight weak table to pull stuff like that. This game is loose-weak and I should know better.

I re-bought and built my stack up slowly. Then I won a hand by turning a straight with 63 off suit. Not a hand I usually play but I was in position against a raiser who tends to give me a lot of respect and is relatively easy to read so I figured I could out play him on the flop. Turns out he hit top pair and paid me off. So, now my stack was sitting at around 600$ and the following hand came up:

UTG+1 raises to 10$. MP1 re-raises to 20$. I look down at KK in the SB and know that the BB is trying to go broke and leave. He has about 60$ in front of him and I figure if I call he might just move in. He looked primed to make the move so I smooth called and sure enough, all his money went in. To my surprise, the original raiser flat called and so did MP1. The action came back to me and I decided to try and shut everyone out of the pot so I could play head's up with the all-in player for all the dead money. I moved in. UTG+1 thought for a long time and called for the little over 300$ that he had left. MP1 thought a bit and called as well for his last 250$. Can you guess what each player had? Watch this!

:As :5s - BB
:Ac :Jc - UTG+1
:Ah :Qd - MP1
:Ks :Kd - Me

I really can't ask for better than that. I am in a 4-way all-in pot with pocket kings and the other 3 guys turn over Ace-rag. Here are the odds:

Holdem Hi: 1086008 enumerated boards
cards win %win lose %lose tie %tie EV
As 5s 147813 13.61 927749 85.43 10446 0.96 0.139
Ac Jc 144029 13.26 931533 85.78 10446 0.96 0.136
Qd Ah 103375 9.52 972187 89.52 10446 0.96 0.098
Ks Kd 680345 62.65 402982 37.11 2681 0.25 0.627

So, I'm getting about 3-1 on my money as a 2-1 favourite. Awesome! Of course the flop comes:
:Jd :Jh :Td

I fail to improve and lose a massive pot. Sadly, still stinging from the 2 outer loss on Tuesday, I had another little outburst. There's really no need for those and I need to get them out of my game completely. I calmed myself down pretty quickly though and was able to laugh it all off and continue playing well.

That hand crippled me down to 150$ and here's the kicker, the charmingly goofy player on my immediate right quipped, "Well, at least it wasn't a bad beat". When I asked him what he meant by that, he said, "I mean Ace Jack suited, you gotta call!". I nearly fell off my chair! Thanks to bozos like this, I cashed out 585$ about 2 hours later making 125$ net profit for the night (585 - 60 - 400).

Lessons learned from this session include:

• When you're short-stacked, just top up instead of making a big move against calling stations.


• There's no need to make a scene when you get sucked out on. In a soft game like this, you'll make your money back eventually.


• Most of these players give absolutely no thought to what their opponent might have. They look at their hand and ask themselves if it's worth the price of a call. If the answer is yes, they call... and that's good for business!

Labels: Hand Histories, Humour, Live Poker

Here is the third and final hand I want to discuss from Tuesday's session. To read about the second hand, click here and for the first, click here.

In a way I saved the best for last. I hope that this will not come across as just another bad beat story or some arrogant rant about how I am the best player in the word. Those who know me realise that I post these things for my benefit and I am not looking for any praise or sympathy from my readers.

Hand #3

1$/2$ NL Holdem Ring Game 10 Handed

Effective Stack Size: 290$
My stack: 600$

Bill Sparks is the Button with :ac :as

Preflop:
CO Raises to 15$. Bill Sparks calls. BB calls.

Flop: (3 Players - 46$)
:Kc :Jc :8s
BB checks. CO bets 37$. Bill Sparks raises to 80$. BB fols. CO calls.

Turn: (2 Players - 206$)
:Kc :Jc :8s :6s
CO checks. Bill Sparks bets 200$. CO calls 195$ and is all in.

River: (2 players, 1 all-in - 601$)
:Kc :Jc :8s :6s :9d

Result:
CO shows :9s :9c and wins 601$ with a three of a kind, nines.
Bill Sparks shows :Ac :As and loses.

Before I describe my thinking on each round, I should tell you that the CO in this hand is a player I know very well. I have faced him across the felt many times and I am at a point where my read on him is so good, I can often manipulate him into doing exactly what I want.

So, preflop I know that the raiser has a decent hand, he doesn't usually raise with garbage. I look down at my Aces and then survey the table. The SB seems uninterested, so I decide to smooth call, figuring at worst I am playing a 3-way pot which is not bad and if the board comes super ugly, I know I can lay them down. Especially since my read on the CO is so good.

On the flop, the CO makes an odd numbered continuation bet. This is designed to scare and confuse people. He does this when he does not want to get called. Therefore, I know he does not have a monster. But he certainly has a hand. I put him on the range KQ, AJ, 77-TT. I hold the ace of clubs and both the jack and the king of clubs are on board, so I'm not really worried about the flush. My raise here is designed to build the pot. I know the CO does not like to fold when there are more cards to come so I keep the raise nice and attractive for him.

On the turn, when he checks I am 100% sure I have him crushed. Now, what you have to understand about this player is that he HATES to be bluffed off a pot. In our history together he has caught me making some whopper bluffs against him so he know I am capable of betting hard with nothing (see: Who's The Bigger Donkey?).

He went into the tank for an eternity and all the while, I did everything I could to induce a call. I gave him all the body language he needed to justify putting all of his chips in with a pair of nines when there are two overs on board and he is basically only beating a bluff. I worked very hard to get his money in the middle and I was thrilled to see his hand. What could be better than having a guy put all his chips in drawing to a two-outer on the river. Glorious!

...and then came the river. I yelled some expletive and smashed the table before walking away in a huff. I've taken my share of beats before but this one was particularly viscious. I felt I had done so much to earn this pot and the poker gods had just kicked me in the balls.

While away from the table, I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I had played the hand to the absolute best of my abilities. Sometimes, the cards just don't co-operate. there will be plenty of opportunities for me to make my money back if i can continue to play as well as I played that hand. I managed to get back to the table and play out the session whithout tilting. For me, this is a good accomplishment. I still wish I did not cause such a scene when the nine hit. It hurt, but at the end of the day, there is no need for that kind of outburst. I knew the deal when I sat down. Anything can happen, all I can do is play my very best, the cards do the rest.

As a side note, I wanna apologise to the dealer on that hand. He and I had been joking about how he always "cold decks" me. I even begged him not to do it again when all the money went in on this hand. He felt very badly when the nine came, but the truth is there is nothing he or anyone can do and I am obviously not mad at him for something over which he has little to no control.

Labels: Hand Histories, Live Poker

Here is the second of three hands I am analysing from Tuesday. To read about the first, click here.

Hand #2

1$/2$ NL Holdem Ring Game 10 Handed

Effective Stack Size: 225$
My stack: 360$

Bill Sparks is the CO with :ad :kd

Preflop: UTG+1 calls. MP1 calls. Bill Sparks raises to 15$.UTG+1 calls. MP1 calls.

Flop: (3 players - 48$)
:Qd :Jc :4d
UTG+1 checks. MP1 checks. Bill Sparks bets 30$. UTG+1 folds. MP1 calls.

Turn: (2 players - 108$)
:Qd :Jc :4d :2s
MP1 bets 50$. Bill Sparks raises to 150$. MP1 raises to 180$ and is all-in. Bill Sparks calls 30$.

River: (2 players - 468$)
:Qd :Jc :4d :2s :8d

Result:
Bill Sparks shows :ad :kd and wins 468$ with a flush ace high.
MP1 shows :Js :Tc and loses with a pair of jacks.

The preflop play is pretty straightforward, I make a standard raise in position with AK suited.

On the flop, I make a basic continuation bet. I have position, my opponents showed weakness pre-flop by limp-calling and there are some high cards on board that I am likely to have hit. In most cases this bet takes it down. The flat call from my opponent shows weakness. With so many draws out there, he would have to raise any truly good hand. I put him on a range of KJ, TJ, 9T, KT, Qx (where x < J).

The turn is unlikely to have helped my opponent, so when he leads for half the pot, I still feel he is pretty weak. At this point, I had not played against this particular opponent much but I felt he was not thrilled with his hand and I could take him off it with a semi-bluff. After all, I have 2 overs, a gut-shot and the nut flush draw giving me 18 outs (3xK + 3xA + 4xT + 9xDiamonds - 1xTd) and I can force him to basically commit his entire stack. Once he pushes for so little, the call is a no-brainer.

Looking back, I like my play given the information I had at the time. Another valid line would have been to check the flop. This avoids a check-raise and since I hit the turn about a third of the time, I still have a good shot of winning. The down side is that by checking the flop, if I whiff the turn I basically have to fold to any bet that does not offer me 2 to 1. Against aggressive players who would check-raise me with a string jack or weak queen on the flop, the check is probably the preffered option. Again given what I knew of my opponents at the time, I like my line. Of course, had I known my opponent was a calling monkey who can commit his whole stack on a marginal jack with a queen showing against a pre-flop raiser who bet the flop and smashed him on the turn, I would have just called the turn bet and gotten it all in when I hit my river.

Labels: Hand Histories, Live Poker

On Tuesday evening I went to one of the local poker clubs to play a tournament and after busting out rather early from that, I sat in their 1/2 ring game. Here is the first of three key hands I want to analyse.

Hand #1

1$/2$ NL Holdem Ring Game 10 Handed

Effective Stack Size: 120$
My stack: 180$

Bill Sparks is the Button with :Kc :Tc

Preflop: UTG+1 calls 2$. MP2 Raises to 10$. Bill Sparks calls. SB calls. Rest fold.

Flop: (3 players - 34$)
:9c :4d :7s
SB checks. MP2 checks. Bill Sparks bets 20$. SB Calls. MP2 folds.

Turn: (2 players - 74$)
:9c :4d :7s :2c
SB checks. Bill Sparks bets 30$. SB raises to 60$. Bill Sparks calls.

River: (2 players - 194$)
:9c :4d :7s :2c :8c
SB checks. Bill Sparks bets 75$. SB calls 45$ and is all in.

Result:
Bill Sparks shows :kc :tc and wins 284$ with a flush King high.
SB doesn't show.

Preflop, 10$ is not a very big raise for this game and although I have a marginal hand the raiser is a very straightforward player who can be easily outplayed on the flop when I have position. This is why I call.

When it is checked to me on the flop I take a stab at it with two overs. My bet will tell me if the preflop raiser was checking a monster and if no one hit, it should be enough to take down the pot. When the SB just calls I put him on a possible straight draw (e.g. 56s).

The turn looks like a brick for my opponent and gives me a flush draw. Since the SB checks again, I fire a second bullet large enough to take the pot if he missed, but small enough to fold if he pushes. When he min-raises, it becomes clear that he has me beat (I'm thinking maybe A9, 9T, or 89). So, the decision to call becomes a purely mathematical one. I feel my King is live as well as any club; therefore, I have 12 outs (3xK + 9xClubs) which gives me roughly a 24% shot of outdrawing my opponent. The pot is 134$ and it costs me 30$ to call. I am getting about 4.5 to 1 on my money. In addition, my opponent has left himself with only 45$ behind so he is more or less commited to sticking it in on the river and a club will appear harmless because it's hard for him to put me on a runner-runner draw. The math dictates that I must call. So I do. I hit my river and felt my opponent.

In retrospect, I feel I commited too many chips on this hand, given the size of my stack and the relative strength of my hand. Firing the second bullet on the turn was unnecessary and forced me to put good money in after bad, especially since I was offered a chance at a free river card.

To read the next hand from this session, click here.

Labels: Hand Histories, Live Poker

I've said it before and I will say it again, never in my life have I had a run like the one I continue to have on PartyPoker. It's sick. Just sick. This is my 3rd Royal Flush ever and my first on Party Poker. I may not have played the hand in the best way possible, but what a result!

Party Poker ($1 no limit). Hand converted by Check Raised hand converter:

CO ($68.56) (CO)
BTN ($228.65) (DEALER)
Bill Sparks ($112.20) (SB)
BB ($102.30) (BB)
UTG ($21.47) (UTG)

Preflop (5 players): Bill Sparks is SB with :Jd :Ad
2 folds. BTN raises $3.00. Bill Sparks calls ($2.50) [2.8:1]. 1 fold.

Flop (7 bets ($7) in pot, 2 players):
:8h :7d :Kd
Bill Sparks checks. BTN bets $6.00. Bill Sparks raises $18.00. BTN raises $24.00. Bill Sparks calls ($12.00) [5.58:1].

Turn (67 bets ($67) in pot, 2 players):
:8h :7d :Kd :Td
Bill Sparks checks. BTN bets $50.00. Bill Sparks raises $79.20 and is all-in. BTN calls ($29.20) [7.72:1].

River (225.40 bets ($225.40) in pot, 2 players):
:8h :7d :Kd :Td :Qd

Summary:
Bill Sparks has a Royal Flush [ :Jd :Ad ] and won $223.40 (111.7bb)
BTN has a pair of Kings [ :Kc :Js ]

I called pre-flop figuring he was making a loose raise with position. When the flop hit I chose to check and see if I could get a free turn. When he bet, I thought if he whiffed the flop and was just making a continuation bet I could take it away right there with a semi-bluff. If he called me, I thought I might get a free river out of the deal. When he re-raises me the odds dictate that I have to call, so I do. When I hit the turn I really don't like my check. If I was correct in my original line that the re-raise would buy me a free river, then a check here would just lead to a check from my opponent and it would be tougher to get all the money in. The only reason I did check the turn is that he still had the betting lead with his re-raise so I figured he might try to bluff the diamond. I was right, but it was risky. Once he bet 50$ there, I figured he was commited so I just stuck it in.

Labels: Hand Histories, Online Poker, Party Poker

I cashed out PartyPoker a while ago after running 100$ to 3000$. Then I looked today and found 20$ (I guess a bonus cleared or something). So, I decided to play a little. I won 3 10$ HU SnGs and then sat at .25/.50 had a good run and moved up to .50/1.00. My account is now sitting at just over 400$. I don't know why I can't seem to have runs like this on any other site. It's sick the way I get paid off on Party. Here are some highlights:

I thought I was semi-bluffing the turn. Sometimes I forget just how bad these players really are.

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
4 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $59.85
Button: $134.53
Bill Sparks: $91.50
BB: $37.17

Pre-flop: (4 players) Bill Sparks is SB with :qc :tc
UTG calls $1 (pot was $1.5), Button calls $1 (pot was $2.5), Bill Sparks calls $0.5 (pot was $3.5), BB checks.

Flop: :7c :qs :4s ($4, 4 players)
Bill Sparks checks, BB bets $1, 2 folds, Bill Sparks raises to $4, BB raises to $8, Bill Sparks calls $4 (pot was $15).

Turn: :8c ($20, 2 players)
Bill Sparks is all-in $82.5, BB calls all-in $28.17.
Uncalled bets: $54.33 returned to Bill Sparks.

River: :ac ($76.34, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $76.34)

Results:
Final pot: $76.34
Bill Sparks shows :qc :tc
BB shows :2s :qd

This guy loved to bluff and semi-bluff, I was pretty sure I had him the whole way.

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $129.63
UTG+1: $48.91
Bill Sparks: $71.80
Button: $69.92
SB: $46.75
BB: $100.03

Pre-flop: (6 players) Bill Sparks is CO with :4h :3h
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls $1 (pot was $1.5), Bill Sparks calls $1 (pot was $2.5), Button folds, SB calls $0.5 (pot was $3.5), BB checks.

Flop: :3s :qc :7h ($4, 4 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 checks, Bill Sparks bets $3, SB raises to $6, 2 folds, Bill Sparks calls $3 (pot was $13).

Turn: :kc ($16, 2 players)
SB bets $5, Bill Sparks raises to $15, SB calls $10 (pot was $36).

River: :9s ($46, 2 players)
SB checks, Bill Sparks checks.

Results:
Final pot: $46
SB shows :8c :6c
Bill Sparks shows :4h :3h

On this one, I suck out pretty hard on the river. I put him on an overpair pre-flop. Then when he checked the flop I thought either he flopped his set with KK or he has an underpair and is giving up on the hand. Since I had a nice draw, I just took the free card. When the Ace hit and he bet weak I thought I could take it away from him. Then when he called and I hit my miracle river, I figured I may as well try to extract maximum.

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $99
UTG+1: $100
CO: $97.95
Bill Sparks: $131.07
SB: $99
BB: $62.30

Pre-flop: (6 players) Bill Sparks is Button with :5c :6c
UTG, folds, UTG+1 (poster) checks, CO folds, Bill Sparks raises to $3, SB raises to $5, 2 folds, Bill Sparks calls $2 (pot was $8.5).

Flop: :8d :7h :ks ($12, 2 players)
SB checks, Bill Sparks checks.

Turn: :ad ($12, 2 players)
SB bets $5, Bill Sparks raises to $15, SB calls $10 (pot was $32).

River: :9d ($42, 2 players)
SB checks, Bill Sparks is all-in $111.07, SB calls all-in $79.
Uncalled bets: $32.07 returned to Bill Sparks.

Results:
Final pot: $200
SB shows :qs :as
Bill Sparks shows :5c :6c

Labels: Hand Histories, Online Poker, Party Poker

I played a 50+5 90 man SnG on Stars tonight and here is the hand I went out on in 31st place.

Poker Stars
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t100/t200
(Ante: t25)
7 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: t1590
UTG+1: t12250
MP1: t3525
CO: t12848
Button: t6710
SB: t3035
Bill Sparks: t2545

Pre-flop: (7 players) Bill Sparks is BB with
4 folds, Button raises to t600, SB folds, Bill Sparks raises all-in t2520, Button calls t1920 (pot was t3395).

Flop: (t5315, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: t5315)

Turn: (t5315, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: t5315)

River: (t5315, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: t5315)

Results:
Final pot: t5315
Bill Sparks showed
Button showed

I couldn't believe I got called in that spot with A4 suited. I was thrilled that my read was bang on and that I was a favourite to double through and get back in the race to take this puppy down. When the ace hit the flop and I didn't improve, I was so mad I wanted to throw my monitor out the window. My first reaction was to blame the donkey for calling me with ace rag, then I realized I like the call. If people only called my pushes with premium hands, I'd have a hard time doubling up in a tournament when I need to. Then I got mad at the cards for coming out the way they did and causing me to lose. Then I took a moment to appreciate how we are always willing to blame everything and everyone but ourseleves when we fail. Blaming my opponent or the cards really isn't going to help me improve my game and if that's the goal then I need to do some objective analysis, so here goes:

In general I don't like to be all-in preflop with pocket Jacks. Often times that leads to a race situation and I belive anytime your tournament life hinges on a 50/50 proposition you remove the edge that superior skill should provide you in this game. Having said that, given the circumstances, I believe pushing here was the correct play. My "M" was just over 8 so I really had no choice. In other words, I feel that this last play was correct. So, I need to look beyond this play in order find where I might have gone wrong.

Greg Raymer said that a poker tournament is a great example of "The Butterfly Effect" which is a concept that is part of a branch of physics known as Chaos Theory (which actually originated in meteorology for those of you who care). If you're not familiar with the butterfly effect here is how Wikipedia describes it:

... a phrase that encapsulates the more technical notion of sensitive dependence on initial conditions in chaos theory. Small variations of the initial condition of a dynamical system may produce large variations in the long term behavior of the system...

The phrase refers to the idea that [the flap of] a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that ultimately cause a tornado to appear (or, for that matter, prevent a tornado from appearing).

So, where is "the flap" that caused my eventual demise. I searched through my memory and the hand history and I believe this is it:

Poker Stars
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t75/t150
8 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: t3815
UTG+1: t1375
MP1: t4480
MP2: t2675
CO: t2280
Button: t2860
SB: t5315
Bill Sparks: t5200

Pre-flop: (8 players) Bill Sparks is BB with
4 folds, CO raises to t450, 2 folds, Bill Sparks raises all-in t5200, CO calls all-in t1830.
Uncalled bets: t2920 returned to Bill Sparks.

Flop: (t2430, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t4635)


Turn: (t2430, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t4635)


River: (t2430, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t4635)


Results:
Final pot: t4635
CO showed
Bill Sparks showed

At the time when this hand occurred I had a decent amount of chips and there was really no need for me to push. I should have called and then folded when I missed my set on the flop. That would have left me with t4750 which is still a reasonable stack that allows me to play some poker. Instead, I was left with under 3k in chips which lead to my eventual push with JJ.

So, my conclusion is that just because the cards don't go your way on the last hand of a tourney, you may still be responsible for the loss. Learn from your mistakes instead of blaming them on others.

Labels: Hand Histories, Poker Stars, Poker Strategy, Tournaments

I've been playing some 2/4 on Party Poker this today. Here are the highlights:


Hand 1: I really should have been able to get away.

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $504.69
UTG+1: $460.40
CO: $134.37
Button: $432.60
SB: $602
Bill Sparks: $250.45

Pre-flop: (6 players) Bill Sparks is BB with
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls $4 (pot was $6), CO calls $4 (pot was $10), Button folds, SB raises to $8, Bill Sparks calls $4 (pot was $18), UTG+1 calls $4 (pot was $22), CO calls $4 (pot was $26).

Flop: ($32, 4 players)
SB checks, Bill Sparks bets $20, UTG+1 calls $20 (pot was $52), CO calls $20 (pot was $72), SB calls $20 (pot was $92).

Turn: ($112, 4 players)
SB checks, Bill Sparks checks, UTG+1 bets $30, CO raises to $60, SB calls $60 (pot was $202), Bill Sparks raises all-in $222.45, UTG+1 folds, CO calls all-in $46.37, SB calls $162.45 (pot was $470.82).

River: ($616.9, 1 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $461.11, Sidepot 1: $155.79)

Results:
Final pot: $616.9
CO shows
SB shows
Bill Sparks shows

Hand 2: Typical PartyDonk overvalues his small overpair.

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $468
UTG+1: $132.45
CO: $301.80
Button: $1541.24
SB: $129.60
Bill Sparks: $625.70

Pre-flop: (6 players) Bill Sparks is BB with
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls $4 (pot was $6), 2 folds, SB calls $2 (pot was $10), Bill Sparks checks.

Flop: ($12, 3 players)
SB checks, Bill Sparks bets $9, UTG+1 raises to $18, SB folds, Bill Sparks raises to $27, UTG+1 raises all-in $110.45, Bill Sparks calls $101.45 (pot was $140.45).

Turn: ($268.9, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $268.9)

River: ($268.9, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $268.9)

Results:
Final pot: $268.9
Bill Sparks shows
UTG+1 doesn't show

Hand 3: Cautious River play with pocket rockets.

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
Bill Sparks: $472.70
UTG+1: $468
CO: $132.45
Button: $451.80
SB: $1543.24
BB: $133.60

Pre-flop: (6 players) Bill Sparks is UTG with
Bill Sparks raises to $14, 2 folds, Button calls $14 (pot was $20), 2 folds.

Flop: ($34, 2 players)
Bill Sparks bets $24, Button calls $24 (pot was $58).

Turn: ($82, 2 players)
Bill Sparks checks, Button bets $56, Bill Sparks raises to $112, Button calls $56 (pot was $250).

River: ($306, 2 players)
Bill Sparks checks, Button checks.

Results:
Final pot: $306
Bill Sparks shows
Button doesn't show

Hand 4: A nice delayed continuation play.

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $102
Bill Sparks: $418.10
CO: $259.60
Button: $575.40
SB: $85.19
BB: $667.15

Pre-flop: (6 players) Bill Sparks is UTG+1 with
UTG folds, Bill Sparks raises to $14, CO folds, Button calls $14 (pot was $20), SB calls $12 (pot was $34), BB folds.

Flop: ($46, 3 players)
SB checks, Bill Sparks checks, Button checks.

Turn: ($46, 3 players)
SB checks, Bill Sparks bets $30, Button calls $30 (pot was $76), SB folds.

River: ($106, 2 players)
Bill Sparks bets $50, Button folds.
Uncalled bets: $50 returned to Bill Sparks.

Results:
Final pot: $106

Hand 5: Don't raise my big blind!

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $461
UTG+1: $254.33
CO: $349.60
Button: $1060.19
SB: $392
Bill Sparks: $326.60

Pre-flop: (6 players) Bill Sparks is BB with
4 folds, SB raises to $12, Bill Sparks calls $8 (pot was $14).

Flop: ($24, 2 players)
SB bets $18, Bill Sparks raises to $40, SB calls $22 (pot was $82).

Turn: ($104, 2 players)
SB checks, Bill Sparks bets $85, SB raises to $170, Bill Sparks raises all-in $189.6, SB calls $104.6 (pot was $463.6).

River: ($653.2, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $653.2)

Results:
Final pot: $653.2
SB shows
Bill Sparks shows

Labels: Hand Histories, Party Poker