Radii joins the poker crowd

[Radii]

I'm not sure where this will go.

I've been playing the following lately:

www.americascardroom.com, they do no limit or limit multi table tournaments 5 or 6 nights a week. I love this style of play but am not good enough at it to dump real money into it, so I play in the freeroll's on americas card room.

Tonight they have a $500 No Limit hold em freeroll that I'll write up.


I also play $25 No Limit ring games at party poker.com.

I want to track this a little closer and really keep an eye on how I'm doing, and compare it to my success(or lack thereof) at limit ring games and decide if I want to stick with $25 NL games, which allows me to cash out all my winnings every month b/c the amount I keep in partypoker is more than enough to support a losing streak in those ring games... OR I can not cash out my winnings, and see if I can increase the limit at which I play at and make more money over the long run.

SO, this thread will be a mix of freeroll tournaments, both limit and limit, and then the $25 NL games, and some $.50/$1 limit games.

[Radii]

I start out planning to play for about an hour on partypoker.com at a $25 NL Ring Game, the freeroll starts at 10pm, so I'm planning on playing for an hour here and then getting a snack and getting ready for the tournament.

I sit down at a table that has a full 10 players at it, the small stack is $16.40, the largest stack has $38.30. I'm comfortable with this range. I tend to avoid tables that sport one or more $50+ stacks if I possibly can when I can only buy in for $25.

My strategy here is to basically wait for a monster. Play agressive when I know I've got the best hand, draw to the nuts if I'm drawing *very* cheaply, and fold a ton. On my best days I may drop $10 waiting for that monster, and win $40 when I hit it, sometimes I hit multiple and take away $100+. On bad days I dwindle away my $25 as the hands just don't come. On horrid days, I think I've got the best hand, and turn out to have totally misread someone and drop my $25 on a single hand.

Blinds, by the way, are $0.25 and $0.50. I get raised out of my blind on hand one(I put in my blind one off the dealer, didn't want to wait 7 hands)

Hand #3 - I catch Qd Jd 2 off the button. One limper before me, I limp, and 3 behind me. The flop comes 6h 10d 4h, and the big blind throws out a $2 bet. Welcome to no limit hold 'em. I fold. The early bettor had pocket 4s and hit trips on the flop, getting a caller to the river and a $25 pot.

Hand #6 - I get 5h 4d in the big blind. 5 limp before me so I can play my crap for free. Flop comes Qh aH 6d, everyone checks. the Turn is 2h, so a 3 would make me a straight, but the small blind bets $2, about the size of the pot, and I fold out. There's a flush on the board as well. Turns out the SB had pocket aces and flopped trip aces, which amazingly held up despite 4 to a flush after the river was a 4th heart.

Hand #10 - I'm not in this one but 3 people went all in before the flop, they ended up having AK vs AT vs QJ (all in for $15+ with ace ten or queen/jack???) Ace-Ten caught 2 pair for a $65 pot. AK makes a few comments and leaves the table.

Hand #13 - I catch Qs Js in UTG + 1, I probalby shouldn't play it but I do anyway, and get 4 limpers behind me. Flop is 8c 9d 5d, BB bets $3 and I'm out.

Hand #16 - Js 8d in the big blind. 5 limp and I check. Flop is 9s 7h 4d, I check, there's a $2 bet and I fold. An 8 comes later and J8 from someone else at the table ends up winning the pot, but no way could I justify that call, my pot odds were 4-1 there, and I counted myself for 7 outs (a 10 for the straight or the jack, the 8 would have just scared me away w/ 789 on the board)


Hand #18 - A2 on the button. Again I'm not sure I should call but I do. Flop comes 10 7 4, everyone checks. The turn is a 2 I've hit the low pair. We all check again. The river is another 7, no flush or straight possibility. I can't imagine a pair of 2s winning this, but it does! My pot of $3.35 brings me up to about even.


Hand #20 - Ah 9c 2 off the button, I limp along with 6 others. Flop comes Ad 10c jh. There's a $1 bet, I call it as do 3 behind me. 5 way action still, do I have the best hand? The turn is 4d and the same guy leads out for $3. I don't know him enough to know if I've got it or not, but I know I've got another bet to put in after this one so I fold. I made a mistake here probably as the big bettor had A7 and won the pot of $15.50 with one pair. He got called all the way down by a pair of 4s.

Hand #22 - Ks Qd UTG +1, I limp, maybe I should have raised this one, sheesh I feel out of practice here. I end up folding to $3 bet on the flop. when there's an ace and two other cards on the flop. The big bettor had AQ and had me dominated.


Hand #25 - Jd 6s in the big blind. I get to see the flop for free with 5 limpers. The 584 on the flop give me an inside straight draw that I'm not willing to pay $3 more to try for. A guy behind me ends up going all in for $14 with K7(another inside draw) and he's called by 72, another draw! High card king won it... Insane.

Hand #27 - Ah 2d on the button. This is a very passive table pre-flop, so what the hell I'll see the flop. It misses me badly and I fold on the flop. I'm playing more hands than usual but I think that's justified when there is so very rarely a pre-flop raise.

Hand #34 - 9s 9c on the button, I call a pre-flop raise to $1. 4 of us see the flop. 6c 3c Qh, theres a 50 cent bet, a fold and a call, and I think i'v got the best hand, but I want the pot now, I raise it up to $2, and get one caller. The turn is the 5 of spades and the butthead goes all in. What does he have? a straight? QQ? two pair? Well, any of that has me beat and I'm not going to bet $12 on my 9's holding up. I should have re-raised pre-flop.


Hand #37 - Kc 9c UTG + 1, I call again, another hand I wouldn't play if it wasn't so passive. 7 people see the flop, which comes 7s 9s jd, I hit middle pair. I bet $1 into it after a lot of checks, and get only one caller. Turn is 6h, and I bet $2 into it, again I'm called. The river is Ah, and this time I just check, beating Q8 for a pot of $8.55. My first decent pot of the night puts me back to about even again(down $2 to be exact).

Hand #39 - 9c 7c in the big blind. Again I get a free flop and take it. Flop is 9s 5h Ad, my flush is gone, but I hit middle pair with a crappy kicker. We check around, the turn is 7h and I hit a nice 2 pair. I bet $1 and no one calls, I take in the small $2.90 pot.


Hand #44 - Best hand of the night so far, Ad Qh, I face a $2 raise to my right and I call it. 4 people see the flop, the pre-flop raiser checks 2 4 6 rainbow. I bet $3 into it and get one caller. Kh comes up on the turn and I don't like that much, I check, ready to escape the hand, and fold to a $5 bet. Ick.

Hand #48 - Ah Th in the BB. 7 limp to me. I raise it up to $1.50, I don't want 8 people seeing this flop. Still, 5 people see it, including me. The flop sucks, 7h, Js, 7d. I bet $1 into it, and face an all-in raise for $12.50. Easy fold.

Hand #49 - 7c 7d in the small blind. I limp and hope for more 7s. Flop comes Qh 4c 7s! I check, no flush and wild ass straight... 6 people saw the flop and one behind me bets $2. I just call. Two callers behind me. Turn is a 5, straight possibility out there. I bet $2 into it, I don't want anyone seeing this for free. I get raised to $4 and I call, hoping I'm facing 2 pair or something. River is a 10. 89 or 68 makes a straight that kills me, otherwise I lose only to QQ. I bet $3, I get called, show my trip 7s and take down a nice $23.75 pot.


Time for the tournament, normally I wouldn't be leaving now. I leave up $6 after an hour. 49 hands, I saw the flop on 30%, way too high and I did see some hands I shouldn't have. Can't complain about making money though.

[Radii]

Ok it's tournament time.

This is a $500 freeroll, the top 10 win money. 628 have registered. After 5 minutes all people that aren't at a table get kicked out.

Everyone gets 1500 in chips, and the blinds start at 20/40. I'm at table #5.

I go through my blinds once before getting moved to table #12. We're down to about 390 people after all the people who didn't show up get kicked out.

Hand #8 I'm 2 off the button with Kh Js, and I call, along with 6 others. Flop comes 10c 3h 3d and I'm not going to try to bluff early, I like being very tight early in a tournament, so I just check/fold.

The limits jump to 30/60 after only 10 hands. These freerolls have extremely agressive blinds, going up every 10 minutes.

Hand #14 I have a pair of 5s in the big blind. I check to 5 limpers. Flop shows 3 overcards and I fold to the first bet.


Hand #17 I'm one off the button, and the 3rd limper with Qs Jd. Flop comes 2 7 7 and a large stack bets 500 chips, he gets a caller, I'm out of there (down to 1375). Hahaha. Large stack played 72! Flopped a full house.


Hand #18 I limp with Ad 8c, flop is J67 rainbow and the large stack bets 500 again. We all fold.


Limits go up to 50/100. I have 1345 chips.

Hand #23 Kc Qs in the big blind. 5 limp to me and I check. Flop comes A 8 4, two clubs, we all check, turn is a 5, no flush for me. I end up folding.

Hand #25 Ks 10h on the button. I limp, there are 7 of us in the pot. Flop comes K 2 8, two hearts. I've flopped top pair. There's an early minimal bet of 50, all fold to me, and I raise to 100. The original bettor calls. Turn is 10c, and I've got 2 pair. Bettor checks to me, I bet 100 and he calls. Turn is a Queen and there is a straight possible, other guy bets 100 and I just call. Original bettor shows KQ and 2 pair to take down the pot. I'm down to 920 and am the second shortest stack at the table.

Limits up to 100/200.

Hand 28 I'm UTG with a pair of 6s. I raise to 200, one caller. Flop comes 844. I bet 200 and take down the pot of 700, I'm back up to 1220.

Hand 31 I have 56 in the BB, I get to see it for free and it's 10 2 4, I'm not going to call a bet for a 4 outer though so I'm out, a pair of 4s ends up winning it.


Hand 35 Q 10, one bet before me, by a maniac. I limp, most people aren't playing with crap anymore. Flop is A 2 6, there's a large bet on the flop and I fold.


Hand 36 A 6 suited(diamonds). I raise it to 200 and get three callers. The raise is probably a mistake as i'm a bit frustrated by my lack of cards. I've got 770 chips, if I bet the flop of rags I'm pretty close to pot committed. Everyone checks to me and I bet 300 and get one caller, I'm in trouble. I'm down to 470 chips and the turn doesn't help me any, actually it's come down 4 J Q K so I do have a straight draw. I end up betting out and getting called by pocket jacks and I'm out 205th.


I played that last hand horribly, but was frustrated by the lack of cards and the blinds were catching me quickly. I should have waited it out because I could have done that on a better hand, but alas.

[RPI-Fan]

Have you had any issues with the america's card room software putting shit on your comp?

Also, could you tell me when these freerolls generally are? I try to play some of the daytime freerolls at pokerroom.com

[Radii]

I just signed up for americascardroom.com last week, I haven't run adaware since I installed the poker software but I'll clean myself up and see if I can find anything... nothing overt at least.

Most of the freerolls look to be in the 7pm to 11pm range, it varies.

There is a 1pm omaha freeroll tomorrow, then a 7pm NL Holdem one on Tuesday, that's all that's announced that I can see. Both of the weekend ones were late, 11pm and 10pm.

edit: Really I can spell.

[Radii]

Ok so this is a nice way to wind down after a long drive(drove back from Raleigh to Atlanta today) so lets close out the evening with another No Limit table at party poker. I was hoping to last longer in the tournament, o well.

I put down my $25 at a full table, stacks ranging from $10 to $38.


Hand #3 I catch pocket Aces on the button. Flop is 3 spades, and I'm scared. I bet $1 and get 1 caller. The turn is a 4th spade and I hate it when that happens to my aces. my 1 caller checks to me, I bet $1, expecting a check-raise, but I just get a call. Turn is a 6 and I've got two pair. I can't bet it though. I check, and see KQ(king high) with no spades and take down $8.55.

Hand #4 Ad Jd one off the button. I raise it to $1 again and there are 4 callers. Flop hits me, 3 10 A rainbow. There is a $3 bet, so I fear A 10, but I call, people will bet with less, and there's one other caller. Turn is a King of Diamons. I have top pair and the nut flush draw. The $3 bettor checks, and I bet $3 here, hoping to have the best hand. One caller, the original $3 bettor folds. The river is a 5, and we both check. I beat KJ (one pair) and pull down a sweet $19.95 pot.

Hand #5 As 3s two off the button. I limp, not a great hand but I'm on a nice streak. Now a question. Flop comes 6 7 J, two spades. I maybe am making a mistake here, but I call a $3 bet. Turn is another jack. Do I call another $3 bet with the nut flush draw? $13 in the pot, $3 to call. I don't think I'm getting the odds to draw for the flush(I wasn't on the first call either). That's bad play. Either I should have folded on the flop or committed myself to the river knowing another bet was coming.

Hand #10 JTo 1 off the button. 4 limpers and JT plays well with lots of callers I believe I have read somewhere so I limp in. Flop comes 3 3 9, I bet $1 into it after everyone checks to me. I bet $1 to try to steal it, but I get callers. Turn is an ace and I'm out of there. 3s full of aces wins the pot.

Hand #13 I'm in the big blind with pocket Kings. 4 people limp to me, I raise to $1.50, I dont want wild low straight/flush draws in my pot. I get 3 callers. Flop comes 6s 5s 8c, I bet $2 and get two more callers. Turn is another 8. I'm not sure what to do here. I bet $2 more, trip 8s kills me but I still don't want to let straight draws get a free card. River is Qs making a possible flush. Surely no one called $4 on that? But I check, my kings hold up and I take down $17.60.

Hand #15 Ah Ts on the button, down to 5 people at the table. I raise it up to $1 and take the blinds.


Hand #17 Ad Tc, I raise it up again but this time get two callers. Both check to me on the Q 6 6 flop and I bet $2 and win the pot.

We drop down to 3 players. I love short handed no limit when I'm a big stack, which I am right now with $51.

I piss away about $12 playing pretty crappy short handed. Back up to 5 people now...

Hand 33 I get K8 and raise it up, I get 3 callers, flop has 2 8s, I bet it out and win about $4 pot.


Hand 34 K8 again in the big blind. I check with 2 limpers. Flop comes TJK rainbow. I bet $1 and get 1 caller. The turn is a 6, and I bet $3 into it, and pick up the pot of $6.35. Back up to $40.

Hand 36 KT on the button, offsuit. I raise and all 5 of us are in the pot. Flop comes 4 7 T rainbow, and there's a $2 bet. I have top pair king kicker. I call. 4 people still in... the turn is an Ace and its checked around. River is a 6 and there's a $3 bet. I have no idea what he has. There's a second caller and I don't think my 10s are enough so I fold. AT wins it, definitley a good fold there.


We fall back down to three handed, and I didn't write down any hands as they occured, too quick for that, but I caught some good cards, I flopped nut straight with 78 after someone let me see the flop for free in the big blind, and won a solid $25 pot on it.

I close after 82 hands, with $55.30, up $30.30 on the session and abuot $36 on the day. That's enough to make me forget about my bad tournament play :)

[sabotai]

Don't mean to threadjack here, but just one question. What are the requirements for the freerolls at the various poker games? I know partypoker makes you play like 1500 games in a week to play, which I'll never get up to. What about the other sites?

(also, freeroll tourneys are free to get into, right?)

[Radii]

The freerolls on americascardroom.com have no requirements. They don't have very big payouts either, but I'm playing more for practice than anything.

The one on partypoker.com has a pretty big payout($2500 I believe) but it's a reward for playing a shitton of hands over the week. The one at americascardroom.com is more of a promotion to try to attract additional traffic to the site.

Also the ones on Americas Card Room you have to "work off" your winnings if you win something in a free tournament. Something like you have to play 200 raked hands per $25 you win before you can cash out that $25(assuming you don't lose it). If I ever win anything I'll find out, but I don't ever intend to put any real money there myself.

[Radii]

Party Poker $25 NL Ring Game

I sit down at a ring table with the $25 for the evening, planning on playing about an hour while the meat for dinner finishes thawing. I'm at a full table, stacks range from $10 to $33. I post the big blind immediately rather than wait the 9 hands it would take to cmoe around my way.

The table is pretty agressive, I'm raised out of my first two big blinds, and preflop raises are coming 3 out of every 4 hands(ok, ok, so there have only been 8 hands).

Hand #9: I limp with a pair of 5s on the button, 6 others see the flop. A 4 2 two spades. I call a $2 bet(that's a mistake, 7-2 pot odds with 6 outs), the turn is an 8 and I'm outta there.

Hand #11: I lead out with a raise to $1 with AK suited and get one caller(I'm UTG). The flop is rags, I bet $1 and win $3.65.


A nice argument takes place at the table after one person made a inside straight on the river with 97 offsuit, and two people berate this guy every time he plays a non-optimal hand for the next 10 minutes. Seriously, folks, if someone is playing like shit, let them. This is a huge pet peeve of mine, never, ever scare away a potential fish.


Hand #14: I limp from early position with AQo, and immediately regret not raising. There's 6 callers, the flop is 652 and if I'd raised a few people out of the pot I might have a shot at stealing it. Instead, someone bets, most everyone calls and I'm sure I'm beat with this many callers, i'm out.

Hand #15: I get K3s in the big blind. I see the flop for free with almost the entire table(9 see the flop including me). The flop has a king and 2 diamonds(my suit). I bet $2 and all 8 fold. I pick up $6.30.


Hand #23: KJo in the big blind. The flop has two hearts and two tens(8h Th Tc) and with the flush draw and trips on the table I get out when a bet comes.


Hand #29: I raise to $1 from early position with AKo, and I get re-raised to $5. I call as does one other. The flop comes K67, and the original raiser immediately goes all in for $20. I very seriously consider calling, but honestly I can't do much but put him on AA or KK. If he had QQ or JJ and went all in with it so be it. The more I think about it the more unsure I am of this. I don't have any sort of read on the player, and if I lost the hand I'd be busted. I have two thoughts, and I'm not sure. One is that the pot was already about $20. When the pot is large enough, even if you have a good hand, you want the pot NOW, unless you have the absolute nuts and don't care what stays in. Two people called a $5 raise, even if I flopped trip kings I'd want those people out. The other thought is, he went all-in, so he didn't want people to call him, so maybe he had QQ. I dunno. I wish I hadn't called the $5 raise :)


Hand #38: I check from the big blind with Ks 3s flop comes Q87, only one spade, I fold to a $3 raise.

Hand #39: I pony up the quarter from the small blind with K5o. 3 other callers. Flop comes 234, and I make a semi-bluff bet of $1 on my open ended straight draw. Late position player comes over the top of me for $5 and I'm out. I'm leaking money away today so far. The $5 raiser had 94 for a pair of 4s, a caller had flopped the straight.

Hand #45: I get Ac 5c in the big blind, and see the flop for fre with 2 others. Flop comes 23Q, and there's a 50 cent bet that we all call. Turn is an ace, and I bet $1, both call. River is another ace and I've got trips but a crappy kicker. I go ahead and bet into it, get called by both, and I win the hand and an $11.40 pot.

Hand #47: Ac 7s on the button, I limp along with 5 others. The flop is 552 with two clubs. There's a 50 cent bet and I think I'm getting the odds to call it with $5.50 in the pot. Turn is a king and one guy goes all in for $7, I'm out.


Hand #48: Third time I've caught the speed limit. 5c 5h one off the button, I limp with 6 others. KT9 and I'm out.

Hand #53: Pair of 9s UTG, I raise to $1 and get 3 callers. A53 hits on the flop. I bet out $3 trying to take the pot now, and it works, I pick up $7.05 for my troubles.


Hand #56: 4c 4s on the button, 7 limpers, the flop comes Q95 and I'm out.


Hand #62: 10h 10d in the small blind, I raise it to $1 and there are two callers. Flop comes QQJ, and I call a 60 cent bet. The turn is an 8 and a much larger bet assures me I'm beat somehow. Indeed one of my opponents had a jack.

Hand #64: Kc 7c one off the button. I limp with 4 others. The flop comes Q53 and all 4 check to me, so I throw out a $2 bet and everyone fold. My take is $4.65.


Hand #71: As Jh in the big blind. I call a $1 raise along with 3 others. The flop comes K54, and I fold to a $2 bet.


Hand #72: Kc 6c in the small blind. I get to play thsi one for a quarter, so why not. The flop hits me, K4T, I bet $1 and get one caller. The turn is a 2, and I check, I wanted to see if the caller would bet. He didn't, and the river is a 7. I bet $1, he raises me to $2, and I call. He shows K7 and takes it with two pairs.

Hand #81: Ad 4c in the big blind. I get to see it for free along with two other people. I hit a pair on the flop, which comes 458. I bet 50 cents, and get one caller. The turn is a 6 and there's a straight there, I check, my opponent checks. The river is a ten, and I bet $1 into it, my opponent folds and I take down $3.40.

Hand #82: Ks Qc in the small blind. 6 people limp in, including myself. The flop comes T74, and I fold to a $2 bet.


Hand #94: I catch Jacks in the pocket and make a move. A very large stack raises the pot to $2, he's been raising EVERYTHING. I re-raise him to $5. He calls. The flop comes AA5. We both check. Thr turn is another 5, and he checks to me, I bet $2, and he calls. The river is a 10. I bet $3, and he raises me all in. I call, he turns over QT for Aces and Tens, 2 pair. My Aces and Jacks beat him and I double up, making a very very slow night seem all worth it, I'm up to $35 now.

Hand #97: I have pocket kings in the big blind. The same guy raises to $2.25 pre-flop, and we're going to play it agian. I raise to $5. He calls me. Flop comes AT5. I bet $2 into it and he raises me to $4. I assume I'm beat here... lets see. The turn is another ace, we both check. The river is a king! I bet $9(half the pot), and he once again raises me all in. I call him, desparately fearing the Aces full of XXX, but he doesn'thave it, he turns up A2 for trip aces, and my full house doubles me up for the second time in four hands, and I'm up to $68.70.


We've played exactly 100 hands, and I only had two good ones, but that's why I love NL Hold 'Em. I played about a half hour longer than intended too. In 100 hands, I saw 24 flops, won 8 hands, and won 75% of my showdowns. I finish with $68.70, I'm up $43.70 on the day in 2 hours of play.

[Radii]

I'm going to get in another hour or so before bed, having gotten all my work in the house done :P I'm trying to make an extra car payment doing this, and get in a good number of hours to start to get a pretty reliable recorded hourly rate here.



Hand #3 I get Ac 5c on the button and limp in along with 4 others. The flop comes 2h 2d 3d, and I'm not willing to call a $2 bet on my inside straight draw, and I fold.

Hand #10 I'm UTG + 1, and I catch Ac Qh and raise it up to $1, I get two callers, both of the blinds, so I act last. The flop comes 4 6 4, and there's one bet before me. I raise it from 50 cents to $2 to hopefully get a free card. I do, but it doesn't help, and I check. the river shows a 2 and again we both check, my opponent shows A2 for 1 pair and the pot. Whoops.

Hand #11 JJ UTG, very nice, and I raise it to $1 pre-flop and get 4 callers. The flop is scary, AK7 all spades. We all check, and the turn is another spade, and I get out when a $2 bet is made.

Hand #12 Kh 8d in the big blind. I get to see it for free, and the flop hits me big time, K 8 2. I check, hoping someone bets, they do and I check-raise from $2 to $4. Two people call. The turn is a jack, and I bet $4, I'm raised up to $8, but I still call. The river is another jack, and we all check. I just lost a majority of my buy in right there, as one guy had KJ for a full house. The guy raising against me had King 2 and I had him destroyed, but KJ stayed in and caught a huge hand. I'm suprised he didn't bet it.

Hand #14 A7 on the button. I call to see the flop, but the flop misses me totally and I fold to a $3 bet.

This session might not last very long at all, down to $6.25!

Hand #16 I have Kc Ts one off the button, I call to see the flop, which is all rags, but I still won't call a $3 bet with just two overcards.


Hand #26 Pocket Kings from a middle position, I raise it up to $1, and get re-raised to $1.50. One other person calls, and I re-raise to $2. Both people call again. The flop comes 932 and I'm almost broke so I go all in for my last $3. I get one caller, who had Ace 2 after the board pairs his 2 but no Ace, and I win $12.15 to get back in the game a little bit.

Hand #29 I get to see a free flop with Jd 8c from the big blind. The flop comes 4 7 3 with two clubs. Everyone checks. The turn is an 8 and I have top pair. I bet $1 into it and get one caller. The river is a 6, and now all it takes is a 5 to make a straight. I check, my opponent bets $4, and I fold.

Hand #31 on the button I get Qc Jd, I limp and see the flop with 6 others. The flop comes 8 J 8, there's a 50 cent bet which I call, having top pair. The turn is a 6 and everyone checks to me. I bet $2 and get only one caller. The river is a 7 making a possible straight, no flush on the board. He bets $2 and I call. My opponent shows pocket 9s, so my Jacks are good for another decent $12 pot and I'm back up to $18.25.


Hand #44 I get a pair of 10s in middle position, I raise it to $1.50 and get one caller. The flop is beautiful, A 9 T rainbow for trip tens. I bet the minimum, .50 cents. I don't want to give away a free card but I want to see my opponents reaction. He raises me to $1, I re-raise to $3 and he calls me. The turn is scary, a Queen putting a straight possible on the board. I bet $3 and get called. The river is trash, a 2, and I expect I'm facing A9 or maybe even A 10. I bet $3 more and get called, I show my trip 10's and my opponent mucks. I take down a great $21 pot, and I've fully recovered from my horrible start, and I'm up $2, I have $27.

Hand #49 I go ahead and pay 25 cents to see the flop with Kc 8s from the small blind. The flop comes As 2d Kd, and everyone checks. The turn is another diamond, and I bet $2, trying to show a bluff, I get raised all in to about $12, and clearly someone has my pair of kings beat somehow, so I fold.

Hand #75 I play Kc 3d in the small blind, desparate to play a hand I guess. The flop hits my 3, with an Ace and Ten also. I call a 50 cent bet on the flop, but I fold on the turn when a 4 doesn't help my cause any.

I play a total of 78 hands, and end up down about $10, I finish with $16.65 after about 100 minutes of play. A very dull session without any good cards.

I finish the day with $50 invested, $83.35 returned, for a profit of $33.35 in about 3 1/2 hours.

[RPI-Fan]

What happened from 49 to 75?

[Radii]

The blinds hit me a few times, the cards didn't, there was one hand that I called a $3 raise or something like that and the flop was horrid and I folded that helps to account for the drop from ~$27 to ~$17. A couple of hands where I was getting frustrated and wanted to play something marginal so threw out a bet, and got raised out of it, things like that, that all amount to "pissing away the $2 I was up and more" with suprising ease.

After losing my bluff on hand #49 it looks like I would have had about $24, the blinds passing me 3 times(this is rarely 10 handed, you see a blind every 6-8 hands on average depending on the number sitting out and rotating in and out) would have put me down to about $21.75, and I know there was a very dumb $3 pre-flop call in there somewhere to drop it to $18.75, then throw in a couple of hands where I saw the flop but it was worthless and I didn't write it up :)

[Radii]

I've got the day off unfortunately, but I may as well do something with the day. $25 NL table on partypoker as usual. The stacks vary from $5 to $48, but most people are around the $20-$30 range so I don't feel too worried about getting pushed around, and I buy in for the requisite $25.

Hand #2 I have Ac Qd in the small blind. There are 5 limpers before me, and i don't want to play this 7-handed, so I raise it up to $1. Only one folds and we're playing it 6 handed anyway... great. The flop comes K 3 5 and I end up folding to a $2 bet.

Hand #6 I limp from early/middle position with Ac 7h and we go into the pot 4 handed. The flop comes AdAs8c and I feel pretty dan good. I bet $1 and get 1 caller. The turn is 2d, I bet $3 into it and win the pot of $7.30. Perhaps I was too agressive here, but I feared another ace with a better kicker or a full house draw.

Hand #15 I limp with Kh Jd. The flop gives me top pair as it comes J87. There's a 50 cent bet, I raise to $1 and get 3 callers. The turn is another 8, so I'm worried about an 8 or 9T. I bet $3 and get two more callers. The river is a 3 and I just check here, and win the pot with my two pair. I am lucky the board paired, someone was playing J7 and flopped 2 pair. My pot is a healthy $14.75 and I'm up to about $35 at the moment.

Hand #21 I catch a pair of 7's one off the button. I just limp with it, along with 3 others. The flop is 3 overcards, QT9, and there's a 50 cent bet. I debate calling with $3.50 in the pot I'm getting bout 7 to 1 odds, and I don't thing my odds of seeing trips are that good, so I end up folding.

Reasonably weak cards along the way here

Hand #34 Ad 5c on the small blind, and I put in the 25 cents to see the flop. It's QJ9 rainbow and I fold to a 50 cent bet as we're 6 handed here on the flop. Only down to $32.80 at this point so all is still well.

Hand #40 I limp with QJ suited UTG. Only the blinds call. the flop comes T95 so I have an open ended straight draw and I bet 50 cents into it after the action is checked to me. Both call. The turn is a 6 and there's two clubs ont eh board so I have a straight draw, flush draw and two overcards, I bet $1 and get called by both again. The river is a 3 and doesn't help anything. Perhaps I should have bet out here but I just check and lose to a pair of 9s.

Hand #43 Down to 6 at the table, I catch AK offsuit one off the button. I raise it to $1 and get 3 callers pre-flop. The flop comes Kh 3h 2c, I bet 50 cents and get 2 callers. The turn is an 8 and I bet $2, one caller this time. The river is a 2, and my one caller bets $5... did he hit the 2? I've thrown away waaay too many best hands in this situation so I have to find out. He turns over pocket 8s for trip 8s, well played. Down to $21.55 at this point.

Hand #46 5 handed now... I have Qs 4s in the small blind. I try to steal with a raise after no one plays before me. The big blind calls. The flop is AK4, and I bet 50 cents iwth my pair of 4s, my opponent calls. The turn is a king, and the river a 3, we both check, and I take down $2.85 with my pair of 4s.

Hand #49 I raise to $1 UTG with Ks Qd, only one caller, this guy is calling anything. He's in every pot. The flop is rags, 478, but he bets $2 into me and i don't have the guts to call him down.


We go heads up for 10 hands. I'm up against a very weak player. He calls everything, bets 50 cents when he hits a pair, bets huge when he hits a big hand. It's so easy. I went from $19 to $39 in 10 hands heads up. I ordered the hand histories so hopefully I can write up the big ones.


Hand #61 We're back to 6 handed all of a sudden. All 6 of us see the flop, I have Qd Jd, the flop comes Ks Td 7d, I have an open ended straight draw and a flush draw. I call a $2 bet with that, the turn doesn't help, and I call a 50 cent bet on my draw. The river helps none either, and I fold to a $7 bet.

Hand #62 A rather big hand... I catch AK one off the button. I raise it up to $2, I get re-raised to $3.50, and I call along with one other. The flop comes J98, a 50 cent bet comes, I call it. The turn is a 7, and I end up folding. One of the callers had pocket 10s for the straight. On these two drawing hands I've dropped from $39 back to $31.55.


Hand #71 I put up the 25 cents from the small blind to play my pocket 5s. About 5 others are in the pot with me, the flop is 3 overcards, 3 hearts... I'm out of there on the first bet.

The cards have really slowed down now, Through the blinds a time or two and it's down to $28.55.

Hand #83 I get Ac 8h on the button, I limp and 4 of us see the flop. The flop hits me with A7T, all check to me and I bet $1, getting only one caller. The turn is a 3, I bet $1 and get called again... The river, another 3. that kills me, now the kicker is huge if someone else has an ace. And indeed my A8 splits the pot with A5. $2.85 for each of us.

Hand #89 I pay a quarter to play Ks 9d in the small blind. The flop misses me, T7J, And I'm not going to draw to the inside straight after seeing a $3 bet.

Hand #102 I limp with Ac 7d. The flop comes K39, the turn a 2, the river a 4. Five handed, and not a single bet, a pair of 3s takes it. If I wasn't on such a cold streak perhaps I would have tried to steal that... stealing with 4 opponents doesn't work often though if you're making a bluff with no hand at all.


Hand #104 I catch Ah Jd UTG + 1, I just limp in... but there's a $3 raise and screw it. I fold.


Hand #106 Big slick in the small blind, Ah Kc, I raise it up to $1, get re-raised to $3 and I call, as does one other. The flop comes 2c 3d 2d, and there's a $5 bet, a $6.40 all in, ad jesus christ... heh I fold and see QQ vs J3(J3 played for $9??) The Queens hold up(and would have held up against me too), I'm down to $22.65.


Hand #109 I limp with Kh Jh, the flop is A39 and with 5 other limpers I fold to a bet.


I decide that the cadrs have gone very sour and I'm going to get out if I hit $20 to avoid getting frustrated and making a big mistake.


Hand #116 I limp in with K8 on the button, the flop is A7J and I'm out again. One more hand left!


Hand #121 I'm going out on AJ, I raise it up to $1 and get 3 callers. OOooooer, J57 flop, I've flopped top pair top kicker. I bet $1, one call 2 folds. Turn comes 4c and I bet $2 and take down the $8.45 pot when my opponent folds. That's 28 hands between pots, and only my second pot since about hand #60 when the heads up play ended.


Hand #137 I get AK offsuit UTG, I raise to $1, face a re-raise to $1.50, I raise to $2 and 4 of us see the flop. The flop comes 562, and there's a $9 bet of the WTF variety(AA??) and we all fold.


Hand #138 Ac 7c in the big blind. The flop misses me entirely, K94 and I fold to a bet.


Hand #145 KJ in middle position, I limp with a few others. The flop comes T36 rainbow, and I bet $1 with my overcards, and get 2 callers. The turn is a queen, we all check, the river hits my open ended straight with an ace, and I bet $4, hoping someone else made 2 pair or something with that ace... but they all fold to me. A $9 pot comes my way. That would have put me below $20 if I'd lost it, but instead I'm back to $24.80.


Hand #150 Ac 7s on the button. I limp with it as do 4 others. The flop hits my 7, Q72, and I call a 50 cent bet. The turn is a 9, I'm probably beat here, but again only a 50 cent bet, good pot odds with $5 in the pot. Check on the river and I lose to a pair of queens.


Hand #151 I was going to quit on hand 150, glad I didn't. I catch pocket 5s, and get to see the flop for 50 cents. The flop is a lovely AK5, two hearts. i bet, raised to $1, I call. The turn is a third heart, my opponent doesn't bet and neither do I. The river is a 7, my opponent checks, I bet $3, and he calls me, and my trip 5s win the hand, a $decent $9.30 flop that puts me back up above break-even for the first time in a very very long time.

I go ahead and stop there. The big hand to make it a solid profitable session never came, but I didn't get frustrated and start giving money away when the cards went cold, so I'm not too unhappy about it.

151 hands played, I won 11 pots, saw the flop 27% of the time, and I finish with $26.10, a profit of $1.10 over 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Since I've started the dynasty, that puts me up $78.15 in 8 1/4 hours of play, for an hourly rate of just over $9/hr. Of course that's waaaaay too small a sample to mean anything at all.


There's a $500 freeroll on americascardroom.com at 7pm tonight, and I'll probably play another ring game tonight before bed.

[Radii]

I'll go fill in the heads up hands after I eat, basically I won two nice sized hands, one of them I hit a straight vs a 3 of a kind and won a pot that amounted to $30 or so, and a few hands where I hit top pair and the other guy hit a middle pair and just kept betting $.50 or $1 into me over and over...

[RPI-Fan]

Perhaps I was too agressive here, but I feared another ace with a better kicker or a full house draw.

That statement is contradictory. If you were beat with a higher kicker or full house, nobody was going to fold, no matter how much you bet. One thing I've found online is that people don't like giving away pots early in the hand. If the sole caller postflop was to your right, it wouldn't surprise me. And if such was the case, you could probably put him on a weak hand.

[RPI-Fan]

I think I'll try the americascardroom.com freeroll tonite. When is the sign-up?

[Radii]

That's a good point about the Trip Aces hand. How would you have played it? I often am unsure of my play when I have what is clearly a very good hand but it isn't too hard to see how someone would have me beat, and badly.


As for the freeroll, register an account, log in, go to "tournaments" and the freeroll's are all in red, the one for tonight(16-Jul-03) should be in the middle of the screen, just double click and register.

You can register any time. If you're not logged in and at your table 5 minutes after the tournament starts, you're removed fro it. Of the 513 registered right now I bet only 300-350 actually show up.

[RPI-Fan]

Well the odds of someone holding one of the few cards that can beat you are, statistically, very low at that point (particularly the ace, since there's only one left). The odds of the Ace and higher kicker is even worse.

Your best play, in the long-run, is to bet as much as possible while keeping as many people in as possible. Basically, you have to assume you CANNOT and WILL NOT be beat at showdown on this hand. Although it is theoretically possible, the likelihood of such case happening is so low you have to play as though you've already won.

Also, re: the freeroll, I'm signed up, but was going to play basketball tonite. I'm gonna' have to sit this one out, I guess.

[Radii]

America's Card Room midweek Freeroll

I start at Table 62, that'll change after 5 minutes I'm sure. The highlight of the table is that there's a player named "assgravy" here... whee.

Hand #1 I'm UTG and I get Ac Qs, I raise to 40, and boy are we off to a start. The flop comes AQ3, with two diamonds. I call a $20 bet, as does one other. The turn is a 4, I bet 70 chips, and get raised to 180. I call. The river is a 10, no flush, and my opponent bets out 300+ chips. I call, in love with my 2 pair, and I'm amazed to see my opponent turn over 52 for the straight... I'm down to 690 and this is going to be quick.

Hand #7 I catch poket kings, and I try to slowplay them, but all I can get is the blinds, I wait until the river to bet, bet only 40 chips and get folded to.

Hand #11 I'm in the big blind with J5. Only one caller, and the flop hits me big time as it comes KJJ. Only one opponent again and I slowplay, we both check it. I bet the turn (a queen) for about 40 chips and get called. The river is trash, I bet 130 chips and get folded to. I'm back up to 770.

I'm moved to table 34 after 5 minutes, and everyone should be active.

Hand #14 I'm getting the cards tonight... QQ one off the button. Everyone is active now so maybe I can get some action. I rasie it to 65 and get 3 callers. The flop comes KT2, all check to me and I bet 70 chips, one caller, he may well have me beat. The turn is a 4, and there are 3 diamonds on the board now. My opponent bets enough to put me all in and I have to fold my queens. Down to 635


We move up to 30/60

I did play a hand but folded on the first bet

We're up to 50/100, I have 525 chips

Hand 28 I have Ah Kh and raise it up to 100, I get 4 callers. The flop is a good one for me, K 9 3 rainbow. I bet 100, and get raised for the rest of my chips. I call, and I'm facing pocket 3s, turn is a Q, river a Ten, and it's over.


I misplayed hand #1 and it was really fast from there

[Airhog]

Radii: something you might consider in the freeroll. Since you are going to be moved in the first 5 minutes, dont play any hands yet. No sense to waste your chips. Just fold all the hands, and wait to be moved. Then I wouldnt play until the BB. that way you can sit back and watch how people are playing, and dicate your game accordingly.

[Radii]

It's time to win some more money, I've goofed around with some other formats the past day or two but am returning to the tried and true NL $25 tables.

I sit at a table that has 8 people, including myself, stack sizes are between $14 and $33.

Hand #1 Big Blind, with QQ. the entire table limps to me, and I raise to $4. I want to scare crap hands out of the pot but with SEVEN limpers I'll get a call or two. In fact, I get two. The flop sucks. Bad. Very Bad. AJ9 all spades. One of my opponents goes all in for $30, and I fold. Great start!

Hand #6 I'm 2 off the dealer, and I catch pocket aces. There is a raise to $3 before me, and I re-raise him to $8. He goes all in for $17 and lets see if I can double up. He had QJ. Check this out. Flop: 999 Turn: 9 River: 2. AMAZING. My 4 of a kind, Ace kicker wins the day and I have $39.15.

Hand #7 I have AT hearts in mid position, and I raise it up to $1. There's 2 callers behind me. The flop is pretty, T64 rainbow(one heart). There's a $2 bet, and we all call. The turn is a queen. It's checked to me, I bet $3, and there is one caller. The river is a 2, there is a $5 bet and I know I'm beaten. I fold. The last two cards were both clubs putting a flush on teh board, so there were so many hands that beat me it was silly. I wonder if I should have raised that opening $2 bet on the flop, I think I should have.

Hand #10 A6o from early position. I try to limp but face the danger of limping early, a $7 raise behind me.

Hand #11 I skip the big blind and go to the small blind thanks to an all-in knocking the player to my right out. I get As Kc, and the strong, playable hands continue. Lots of limpers, and again I am trying to be agressive with my best hands, and I raise it to $3. I *think* everyone folded to my raise, my connection died for a good 4 minutes, and I woke up with $34.65, more than I would have had had I lost outright.

Hand #19 I have Ks Js from late position, I call, and a short'ish stack($4.50) calls all in. Often when stacks get low the opening hands get lower and lower, so I'm willing to take my shot here(I'm also feeling rather agressive), I call. I see Ad 6d, the flop misses him totally and I catch a king, I now have $40.95.

Hand #24 I have As 7c in the dealer position, and I call. The flop misses me but contains two spades. There is a 50 cent bet, and with 4 callers, I feel like my odds on an ace or hell why not, runner runner spades is ok enough to call. No Limit is all about the implied odds, and a 50 cent bet into a $2.50 pot is a weak play. The turn is another spade, making a flush possible but I've got the ace. Early Position bets $2, everyone in between me folds, and I continue my agressive play, I raise to $4. I am suprised but pleased when he folds. I take down a $10 pot and have $45.05 now.

I know I'm getting good cards, but I feel like I'm playing very solid NL poker right now. In the zone.


Hand #31 I miss a big blind again thanks to the guy on my right going out. That seat is tainted. I call from the SB with As 8d, but fold when the flop comes KJ5 and there's a $2 bet.

Hand #32 I get Kc 6s from the dealer position. I limp with 4 others. The flop is 322 and everyone checks to me. I bluff into the pot, with a pot sized $2.40 bet, and take it down when everyone folds. $46.45 now.

Hand #33 I catch Ks Jh in the next hand, one off the dealer. The flop comes Kd 7d 4h, There's a $2 bet, and I continue to be agressive, and raise to $4. I'm called. The turn is a 6h, and he bets 50 cents. Again, this is a weak bet, and I raise it to $2, but he calls me again. On the river there's nothing, and he bets $2 and I call, he turns over KQ to beat my KJ.

Hand #34 Dear god. KK. I raise to $2 and get 2 callers. The flop is QJ6, and I bet $4, one caller. The turn is a Queen, and I'm unsure... I check, and face an all-in bet. He's got a queen. Maybe QJ I feel certain, and I fold.

Hand #36 As Qc in the small blind. Everyone limps and I raise to $2. Three people call. The agression is not working now :) The flop misse me and I catch another large bet on the flop and fold.

Time to tighten back up.

Hand #45 9d 8d int he small blind. I cal the 25 cents to play. The flop comes 922, and I come out and bet the pot($1.50) I get one caller. The turn is a 7, I check and my opponent bets 50 cents, I call. The river is a 5. I check, my oponent bets $3, and I call it, he turns over KQ, my 2 pair takes the pot of $12.32.

I go ahead and call it an evening here. I'm up $5 after 48 hands, after a wild day of agression.

[Radii]

I am now up $83 in about 10 hours. A good rate at the level i'm playing. I need to be more discliplined. Not necessarily at this table, but at my poker playing in general. I keep hopping to other games and pissing away an hour here and an hour there. My goal here is to play NL for a few months and log my sessions, winning and losing, in detail, and to compare it to some time spent at limit tables, and to try to decide how to maximize my profits. I enjoy this a lot but more than anything I seriously want to use this as an extra source of income, so I'm going to try to be a little more discliplined about not "experimenting" with other variants such as the heads up play that I have been messing with.

Anyway, mindless ramblings from someone who has been thinking very seriously about what my long term goals are, how much time I am willing and wanting to put towards this(viewing it as expected additional income), and if I am willing to up my investment a bit to see if the returns would be greater.

This is all really small stakes compared to how much I make, but I am not at nature a risk taker, so little things like this weigh reasonably heavily on my mind.

end mindless rambling. :)

[Radii]

I sit back down at a NL table, ready to play my game, the more tight version of it, my mind was wandering badly after the quick upswing and quick downswing and I was pondering too much shit, so a break was in order.

I'm at a table with 8 others, stacks go from $17 to $40.

Hand #2 I'll see Q6 suited in the small blind. The flop of A96 with 1 heart doesn't help, but everyone checks. The turn is a 5 giving me an inside straight draw but I won't bet it, I fold to the first bet.

Hand #3 I catch Ah Td in the dealer position, there is a raise to $1 which I call. The flop comes 832 and the pre-flop raiser bets out $3 and we all fold.

Hand #12 In the small blind with 76 suited. I pay to see the flop which is not bad, J45, an open ended straight draw. There's a 50 cent bet which i call, the turn is another 4, and again there's a 50 cent bet, I call. The river is another 5, and I fold to a bet.

Hand #16 I catch pocket kings from an early position, and I get 3 callers. The flop is Q79, two hearts. I bet $4 and win the pot right here. Not a HUGELY scary pot but one i'm content to win right now. I take down $12.30, including my $4 bet.

Hand #18 I have AK diamonds UTG, and I raise to $1. I get one caller, and then there's a raise to $4.65. I'm the only one to call it. The flop is J74, with one diamond. I bet $3 into it and get raised to $6. I call. It's one of those "I can't believe I'm doing this" calls, the kind you know is stupid as you're making it. The turn is a 9, and we both check. The river is a king, and I really don't even know what to put my opponent on. JJ? Why would he not have bet on the turn then... a pocket pair? Aces? Queens? AJ? I check when I hit my king. My opponent bets another $4, and his pattern of betting is just strange enough to make me feel a need to call. I call, my opponent turns over a ten, and a five. I'm baffled, and a little flustered, but I take down a $21 pot and have $41. Clearly I'm glad to have won the hand but I have no idea how I should have played this.

Hand #25 I catch Ad Kh in middle position. I bet the pot, $1.25, and get two callers, both before me so I get to act last. The flop is T64 rainbow, and it's checked to me. I bet $2 and get one fold, but one calls me. The turn is a queen, and we both check. The river is a 5, and again we both check, I lose to a pair of queens(Q7).

Hand #29 I get a pair of deuces in the small blind. I'm willing to pay a quarter for my 7.5:1 odds, but the flop doesn't hit me this time, and I'm quickly out of the hand.

Hand #34 I have a pair of 7s in a early/middle position, I just limp with it, and am glad to see that no one raised. The flop is 3 overcards, though, and I fold to the first bet.

Hand #35 Ah Tc, early, but there's a late raise to $5 and I'm not willing to play this guy out of position for that much so I just lose my bet.

Hand #38 I'm in the big blind with Ad Js, only one limper + the small blind, and I check through. The flop is K66, and we all check. The turn is a queen, and I consider trying to steal but don't. The river is a 4, and that was a nice timid hand. My ace high wins $1.50.

Forty hands in I have $36.40, looking good.

Hand #47 I have 7c 5s in the big blind and get to play it for free. The flop comes 685 and I have a low pair and an open ended straight draw. I have a lot of outs to a very good hand so I call a 50 cent bet here. The river hits me, but not the way I wanted it to. It's a 7 and a 9 or a 4 hits a straight. There's a $1 bet, which I call(dumb call?) The pot was $6 or $7 after the turn, so $1 seems like a weak bet. The river is an ace and I fold to a $4 bet in the end anyway.

Hand #54 I have As 8d from an early position, and I limp in along with 5 others. The flop is J97, all spades, another spade gives me the nut flush, and a 10 hits a straight. I call a 50 cent bet, the turn is a 5, no help, and I call another 50 cent bet. The river pairs my 8 but I didn't want that at all. I fold to a $5 bet and we see a flush.

Hand #62 Kh 6h from an early/middle position. There are 4 other limipers with me, and the flop is nice, 334, 2 hearts. I bet 75 cents into the pot and two call. The turn makes my flush, and I bet $2, both players cal. The river is a 10, no heart. There's a pair on the board and an Ace high flush that beat me... do these guys have it? I don't know... I bet $5, and get raised to $10. I call, and I beat trips 3 for a very nice sized pot of $29.70. It's my first pot at all in 24 hands, and my first decent sized pot in 40 hands. I'm back up to $49.35.

Hand #65 I am UTG with pocket aces. I raise to $2 and get one caller. The flop is J37, two diamonds. I bet $1 and get called. The turn makes a potential diamond flush, and it also gives me trip aces. I bet $3 and am called. The river is a king of hearts, I bet $3 again and get raised to $10, and I am absolutely demolished by a diamond flush. I give back all I made 3 hands ago and more. Why did I put my oppenent on AK and call so confidently?


Hand #68 I have Ad 4h in the dealer position and I limp in with 5 others. I fold when the flop misses me completely and there is a $2 bet.

Hand #71 I have Qs Tc and limp with it along with 5 others. The flop is QJ5 and I open up by betting the pot, $2.85. Everyone folds and I take down the $5.70 pot.

Hand #75 Ah Ts on the button. There are 7 total in the pot, and the flop is nice, A98, everyone checks to me and I bet $2, I expect callers here and I get just one. The turn is a 6, and my opponent checks to me. Again I bet out, $3 into the pot of $7 already, my opponent folds and I take down $10.15.

Hand #78 Kd Qh 3 off the button, I see the flop with 4 or 5 others. The flop is nice to me, QT6 rainbow, and it's checked around to me, and I bet $2 into the pot and everyone folds... it's $4.40 my way.

Hand #88 Ac Jc UTG+1, I go ahead and raise it to $1, and get re-raised to $3, my hand isn't that great but I end up calling anyway. The flop misses me completely and I fold to a large bet.

Hand #96 Ac Th in middle position, I limp with 5 others. The flop is nice, 4T5, two clubs. I bet ~the pot into it, $2.50, and get one caller. The turn is a 3, which doesn't seem to help anyone. The river is a 4, giving me 2 pair top kicker. My opponent checks into me again, but I only check, fearing a massive check raise if there's a 4 in my opponent's hand. There wasn't, there was Q5 for a pair of 5s, and my take is $13.30, moving me back up to $36.30.

Hand #102 I get another chances with aces. This is different though as I'm on the button and I only have one caller before me. I raise, but only the minimum to $1. I get 3 callers, and I flop trips, with two diamonds... it's checked to me and I bet $1, and get two callers... the turn is an 8, not a diamond, it's checked to me, I bet $2 and they all fold. I take down an $8.65 pot.

Hand #108 Jacks UTG + 1, I raise to $1, and am re-raised to $1.5, 4 people call, and I re-raise to $3, all 4 call. The flop comes 722, I have an overpair, the only question is if someone has a better one. This hand could kill me... I have to play it hard though, and I bet $4. I'm raised up to $12, and in my second "I'm not supposed to do this" move of the night, I call. The turn is a 3, and the raiser goes all in for $20. I concede that I have made two very fucked up plays this evening, and they are the difference in a small loss and a $40 or $50 profit. I fold. The other guy calls all in as well, he was short stacked and I knew he would. The river is crap. So, what did this person call $3 pre-flop with that led him to bet over $25 on the hand after the flop? 5c 2s. Holy shit. The other guy had AK. 52 gives him trip aces and a $90 pot.

I'm down to $21.95, and I know I've made two very bad plays where I gave away over $30 when I simply knew I did not have the best hand. I sit out about 3 hands, go ahead and play one more to make sure I'm not going to get kicked off the table, and go get a drink of water, go to the bathroom, and play with my cat until I stop muttering "5 2" to myself.

My first hand back I'm in the big blind again, and I have a 5 and a 2 :)

I don't play a hand as the blinds go around, and the next time I'm in the big blind, I have 52 again.

Hand #121 I have Ks Qd in the small blind and pay a quarter to see it. The flop comes J92, and I end up folding to a $5 bet.


Hand #126 Ad 8d in middle position, I limp with 3 others. The flop is J2T with only 1 diamond and I fold to a $2 bet.

Hand #127 As Ts UTG. I go ahead and raise it to $1 and get 4 callers. The flop is 954, with one spade. I again fold to a $2 bet.

Hand #129 Kd Qd in the small blind. There's a $2 raise which I call. The flop is rags, 953, and I bluff $2 into it, and get called. From here on out we both check, to a 4, and another 5, and my KQ beats his KT for an $8 pot.


Hand #145 Qs Tc in an early position. I limp in along with many others. The flop is A72, two hearts, and I get out on the first bet.

There is a lot of pre-flop raising and a few new very agressive players at the table, and it's getting late. I leave down $5.



Basically, I played two hands terribly, I called two $8 bets with good hands, but when there were clearly a lot of hands that could beat me and I felt I was beaten both times. I don't know why I called them. It's the difference between leaving hte table up $11 or down $5. Disappointing.


I'm now up $78 in 13 hours of play since I started logging my time in this thread. $6/hr. I plan on putting in a solid session tomorrow and Sunday to see if I can't put up another good showing. Three of my first four real money sessions of the week were excellent, and the last few have been cold since then.

[Radii]

Time to get the weekend off to a good start. I register for tonight's freeroll on America's Card Room for tonight at 11pm, and then I go find a good $25 NL Ring Game on PartyPoker.com... I'm at a full table, one stack of $50, the rest are $6 to $29.

Hand #1 Qs Ts in the big blind, and I only have two opponents. The flop is A96 all clubs... we all check. the turn is a 7, I try to steal it with $1 and get one caller. The river pairs the 9 and I fold to a $2 bet.

Hand #2 Ac 7c in the small blind, and I'll see that flop. Unfortunately, the flop has 3 spades, despite hitting my top pair I'm not happy. Really these first two flops needed to be reversed. I call a 50 cent bet on the flop with top pair. The turn is a 6, a 4th spade on the board. I'm out of the hand on a $3 bet.

Hand #3 Ah 6c on the button, another hand that I can play in this position, and I see the flop for 50 cents. The flop comes QJT, two hearts. We all check it down, the turn is another 10 and I fold to a $4 bet.

Hand #6 3 of us see the flop, I see it from a middle position with As 8c. The flop comes KJ7, and we all check. The turn, a king, check, the river a 3, check, AQ takes it down. Exciting!

The cards slow down quite a bit here which isn't a terrible thing because I don't want to keep playing 66% of my hands.

Hand #17 Ks 5d on the big blind. The pot hits me again but not in a great way, J56 all hearts. There is a 50 cent bet, and I may be drawing dead, and at best I have 5 outs, so I go ahead and fold.

Hand #19 Ah 4h from the dealer position, if I can see this flop for one bet I will. I get to, and the flop is Td 9s 6d, and I am out on the first bet.

Hand #24 I have a pair of 8s, and I'm going after this pot. I bet $3 into it, and am rather disappointed to get two callers. The flop comes J44, and I bet into it again with $3, and get one caller. The call scares me off because if I continue to bluff into this pot I will lose my entire $25 stack. The turn is a 7, and we both check. The river, a king, and again we both check(I'm playing this out of position unfortunately), My two pair wins the hand, and I take down a nice $15.45 pot, it takes 24 hands to win my first pot, and I'm up about $4 now.

Hand #34 Ks Qd from early position, I'll limp along with 5 others. The flop is JT6, I'm 3rd to act out of 6, and I call a $1 bet, I have a pretty good draw here. Unfortunately someone behind me goes all in for $15 and I don't have THAT good a draw.

Hand #35 Kc Ts from the big blind. I get to see it for free. The flop is 963, two spades one club. I fold to a 50 cent bet here, I've got two overcards but I'll wait.

Hand #41 I've got a pair of twos in an early/middle position, if I can see the flop for one bet I will. The flop comes J44 and there are 6 of us in the pot, too many for me to make a move on, so I check, as does everyone else. There's a bet on the turn(a 5) and I fold.

Hand #43 7s 3s from the big blind, I get to see the AT9 (no spades) flop for free, but I get out on the first bet.


Through 50 hands and a little over an hour, I'm down 30 cents. Considering I've won only one pot and haven't been in a position to play much of anything, I feel good about that. Poker is about maximizing your gains when you have it, and minimizing your losses when you don't. Guess I'm doing a good job of that so far.

Hand #53 I have 8d 6d in the small blind, and I go ahead and play it for a quarter. The flop comes KT7, two diamonds. Everyone checks. The turn is a queen, and I call a 50 cent bet, it wasn't a diamond. I hit the flush ont he river with a 3 of diamonds, now, do I have the best flush? I have to think I probably do, and I bet $3 into the pot and win it, the pot is $7.30 putting me back over $25

Hand #54 Ks 8s on the button, and I call to see it, along with 5 others. The flop is nothing, T52, with one spade. Everyone checks to me, and I put in a $1 bet to see who will fold. Two people don't fold and I know this was a mistake. I fold when the turn is another 2 and someone bets.

Hand #59 KT offsuit in the big blind. Thre's only 6 people at the table right now and I end up heads up with one other. The flop comes J84 and we both check. The turn, an ace. We both check. The river, a 7, and I bet the pot($1.25) and my opponent folds and I take down $2.50.

Hand #67 9c 3h in the big blind. I flop an inside straight draw as the flop comes T67, and we all check. The turn is a 5, and I fold to a bet.

Hand #69 Kh 7h in the dealer position, I go ahead and call it, and the small blind re-raises to $3, he can have it.

Hand #72 Kc Jd in early position. The same guy right behind me re-raises to $4 and I've got to watch out for him, he's betting very agressively. He's getting called down this hand so maybe I can get a clue as to what he's playing. Nope, $5 on the flop, $20 on the turn and he folds.

Hand #75 Ah Tc in the big blind. I get to see it for free, as do 7 others. The flop comes KT8, two spades. There's a $2 bet before me, and I debate, and I call it. One other does. The turn is another ten, and the $2 bettor only bets .75 this time. I raise my trips up to $3, and everyone folds. I suspect the hard better had a king and I got very lucky. My pot is $12.70 and I'm up to $32.05.

Hand #77 Ac 7s on the button, I'll call that and I get to see the flop this time. Unfortunately, it's a T82, all hearts. There's a $2 bet and I'm out of there.

Hand #80 My first truly good hand, QQ, there are a few bets before me, and I raise to $2, and get 3 callers. The flop comes 335, and I act last out of the 4. There is a $1 bet that I call. The turn, an ace. My opponent checks, I bet $2, and he folds. I take down a nice $11.75, not bad considering the ace and pair on the board.

Hand #81 The very next hand, I get a pair of tens. 3 people call my raise to $2, and the flop comes Q93. I again bet $2 into it and get two callers. The turn is pure beauty, a ten. Its checked to me and I bet $3, one caller. The river sucks, a king. A jack makes a straight. We both check, and my opponent had AK, and the $19.50 pot is mine. I've jumped up to $50.80 in the last two hands.

Hand #83 I'm in the big blind with a good hand, Ad Qs. 5 people limp in, and I raise it to $1.50. Only one calls and we're heads up, but I'm out of position. The flop comes T84, 2 hearts. We both check, the turn is a 5, another heart, we both check. The river is a 4th heart, I check, my opponent bets $2 and I fold. He decides to show his hand, he was bluffing with ace high and a worse kicker.

Hand #84 In the small blind, I have QJ offsuit. I call to see the flop with 6 others. The flop comes Q94, and I bet $1, and get two callers. The turn is a scare card, another 9. I bet $2 into it, and both of my opponents fold. I take down $8.80 and have $54.


I get a run of about 5 decent hands in a row, Ace-medium kicker, King Ten, King Jack, a pair of 4s, and there are nice sized($2+) pre-flop raises on every single one of them. Either a couple of people are catching some great cards or the table is getting much more agressive. A couple of the hands go to the river and we're shown KK and AQ so at least the raises aren't totally wild.

The constant pre-flop raises continue and I'm having to be espicially patient(it's only been about 15 hands but a pre-flop raise this many hands in a row is really out of the ordinary).

After 100 hands and about 2 hours, I have $52.50.

We're down to 5 handed and I can play a little more here.

Hand #105 I have the Kc Jc in the small blind. I raise it up to $1 and get heads up. The flop comes Qc Tc 3h. I've got a flush draw, a straight draw and hell a straight flush draw! I bet $1 and get called. The turn is a 4 and I check, my opponent bets $2, I call. The river is another queen and my draws didn't come through, and I fold to a $7 bet.

Hand #109 Kc 5s in the big blind. I see it with two others. The flop comes K J 8 and I've got a solid hand. I bet the pot, $1.50 and get the pot, it's folded to me and I take down $3.

Hand #110 Ad 2d in the small blind. Two people again see it along with me. The flop comes T82, and we all check. The turn is a 5 and a third spade, I bet the pot($1.50), and get one caller. The river is a 5, pairing the board, and we both check and my ace kicker to the 2 pair on the board wins the hand.

We're down to 3 handed so I can't write this up for a bit. I have $51 when we drop to 3, and later on heads up. I win one nice hand on top 2 pair, and lose top 2 pair to a flush, and come out of the 2/3 person play with $51. We're on hand 121 and back up to 5 people.

Hand #126 5 of us see the flop, I'm in the big blind with Ad 2h, the flop is 3 hearts, and I fold on the flop. We are 6 handed now.


Hand #128 Up to 7 people now, and I'll see a flop from the dealer position with Ac 5d. It's not a nice one though, 99K, and I fold to a bet followed by a raise.

Hand #129 One off the button I've got Ac Tc, I just call, and see the flop with 5 others. The flop is Kc 9d 2h. I fold to a bet again.

Hand #130 I raise to $1 with Kh Jc. The flop comes A68, and only one other person saw it with me. He opens up for 50 cents, and I raise him up to $2, and my bluff is successful, he folds and I take down the $5.30 pot.

Hand #132 I have T9 in the big blind and get the flop for free. It's a pretty good one, KJ8 gives me an open ended straight draw. I call a $2 bet, the turn pairs the jacks on the board, and I fold to another bet here.

Hand #133 J9 in the small blind, which I can play for a quarter... the flop hits me, QJT and I only need a king or an 8 for a straight(though a king is bad, surely someone has an ace). Someone goes all in for about $6 though, and my middle pair isn't enough for that.

Hand #138 I have a pair of 3s in early position. I call, hoping to see the flop for 1 bet, a risk early but the payoff can be great in no limit if you hit your set. I have to fold to a $3 raise though.


Hand #140 I get a free flop from the big blind with Q9. 7 people see this flop. The flop gives me an inside straight draw, with a T85 on the board. There's a $1 bet though and with 4 to 7 outs(Jack and Queen) I'm not sure I can call that... My pot odds are 10-1 with a lot of callers, so never mind, I can call. Beautiful. I have the nuts on the turn, the jack hits the table. I bet $4, expecting a call or two with 5 other people still in the hand. There are two diamonds on the board, so I am in slight danger of a flush coming. I get raised to $8. I ponder an all-in play but I just call(and my connection is slowing down). The river is a scare card, the ace of diamonds. I bet $5 into it and get called, my opponent turns over the 7 and 9 of diamonds to kill me. He had the low straight and flush draw, and he hit his flush to beat me. The pot is $40, and I am back down to $30.60.

Hand #141 I have Ac Qc in the small blind, and I raise it up to $1. The server is taking a major dump here, and I don't want to lose this one. Two people call, and the flop comes AQ6, AQ are both hearts. I attempt to bet $2, but I time out and have to use an all-in, so all I'm playing for is $3.35. EXTREMELY frustrating. I "win" the hand as everyone else leaves the table during the lag over the next 5 minutes or so.

the server dies and I have to leave the table. What a horrible finish to a solid session. I play for 3 hours, and leave the table with $33.20, up only $8.20. VERY frustrating. That AQ could have been a big hand for me, and the beat suffered the hand before make me extremely sour, despite a profitable session.


Ok, I am now up $88.20 in 16 hours of play, my hourly rate is now about $5.50/hr.

[Radii]

I have an outside shot at making the 1500 hands necessary to play in the $2500 weekly freeroll, and I planned on playing a lot this weekend anyway. For awhile at least, I'm going to go back to my old routine of sitting at 2 $25 NL tables. I'll try to write up key hands and such since i'm just folding most of the time anyway, but failing that i want to at least keep my running hourly rate totals going so I'll stick that in here for my own knowledge.

Hand numbers are approximate since the running total hand count shows both my tables.

Table 1 - Hand #5 I have Ad 4d in a late position. I call it, as do 2 others. The flop is A56. Early player bets 50 cents, one folds, and I raise to $2. The other guy thinks about it for a very long time and raises all his chips in, his last $5(a $3 raise). I go ahead and call him, and he turns up 94 suited(none of his suit onthe board). I easily take down a pot of about $12.

Table 1 - Hand #19 I have pocket aces UTG, I raise it up to $2 pre-flop. Two people call me. The flop is purdy, A64 and I have trip aces. There is a 50 cent bet which i just call here. The turn is a 3, and there are a couple of straight chances on the board, but I have to bet out and I bet $2 and get two callers. The river fixes all my worries. It's the 4th ace in the deck. Never in my life have I held quad Aces in texas hold 'em. I bet $5, praying for a caller, or even better an all-in from a straight... I do get one caller, the other guy folds, and the pot of about $22 is mine.

Table 2 - Hand #25 I have K4 suited, 5 people see the flop, and it's K44 :) Hooray. I check , and call a $1 bet along with one other. The turn is a 6, and I bet out $2, and get called. The river is a 9, and I bet $5, and my opponent folds. The $14.05 pot is mine.

Table 2 - Hand #30 I have AQ hearts and I raise it to $1. I get 3 callers. The flop comes J98 with two hearts, so I feel like I'm in good shape. I bet $2 and get a caller. The turn is a second Jack, and I'm not as excited anymore, but we both check. The river is a ten, and this is the drawback of playing two tables, something I haven't had a problem with(or else I wouldn't be doing it)... but I didn't even notice I'd hit a straight. Both of us check, and the ~$8 pot is mine.

Table 1 - Hand #40 I have Ac 2s in the small blind. I pay my quarter to see the flop with about 4 others. The flop comes 982, two clubs. There is a 50 cent bet and I have a fair number of outs into a very good hand, so I can call a (normally) weak 50 cent bet. The turn is the king of clubs, and now I really do have outs. An Ace, a 2, or a club and I think I have a shot at winning the hand, of course someone could have hit a flush... I call a $1 bet, along with 3 others. the turn is the Ten of clubs, giving me the absolute nuts, an ace high flush when the board isn't paired and no straight flush is possible. I debate how to bet it. I open for $4, and it's christmastime. The guy behind me raises it to $8. The last player to act calls! I of course have to re-raise. Both of these players have about $15 left. I have $35. I could have raised it to about $25 and put them both all in if either had called. I chose to make a safer play, and only raised it up to $12($4 more), and am pleasantly suprised when both of them call. My pot is about $42. After thinking about it I think I should have pushed them both all in, I bet one of them would have called, and that would have netted me more than both of them calling a $4 raise. Regardless, it's turned into a good afternoon.

Table 2 - Hand #50 I have AQ offsuit on the button. I acidentally limp, and 4 others come in too. The flop comes Q93, very nice. A player with only $2 in chips left goes all in, and I raise to $4 to knock out potential drawing hands here. It's just me agains the all-in after the folds, and he turns up T9, I end up hitting 2 pair with my Ace and win the hand, about $8.

Table 2 - Hand #52 I get to see a free flop with 8 6 offsuit. The flop is nice, Q88, and I check. We see the next card, 3h, for free. I bet the pot, $1.50, and get one caller. On the river, a 4, I bet $4 and am folded to for another $8 pot.


It's now been one hour. the tables are moving quickly We've played 112 hands between the two tables, better than 50 in the first hour. On table one there are 8 players currently and it has been consistantly full. On table 2 there are 6 players, and it's been between 5 or 8 people.

After 1 hour/114 hands: Table 1 - $72.60 Table 2 - $28.95, total: $102.05, up $52.05. Maybe I get better cards when I play two tables, partypoker's way of thanking me for the extra rake. ;)

Table 2 - Hand #63 I have pocket 6s, and I call a 50 cent raise from the big blind. It's a very nice flop, 4 6 8 rainbow. I flopped trips. I open the betting a $1, get raised to $2, and re-raise to $4. The second player calls the $4 so there are 3 in the pot still. I feel good, I doubt the pre-flop raiser was raising with 7-5, but I have to be concerned about 88. The turn is a 2, I bet $4, my opponent calls, the other cold caller folds. The river is a 10, and it makes a heart flush possible. My opponent bets $10, after I have checked, and I have put him on a high pair. The ten didn't slow him down any, and he didn't continue to re-raise me on the flop, so I really don't think he has the 8s. I have to hope for no flush for sure. I call the $10, and I see AK with only one heart, a stone bluff at the end. My pot is $43 and I've broken $50 at both tables now.


Table 2 - Hand #75 AK hearts, I raise it up to $1 and get 3 callers. The flop is KJT with two clubs. I have top pair but there are quite possibly a lot of straight and/or flush draws on the board. Well, if someone is drawing, they won't get to for free, I bet the pot, $3.10. I get one caller. The turn makes a club flush with 3c, and we both check. The board pairs the 3, and I bet $3 and my opponent folds. I take down $12

Table 1 - Hand #85 This table's been quiet, and, I haven't posted about a losing hand yet. That's because I haven't been giving away much money. I have Kd Qd as the dealer, and I call an early $1 raise. Amazingly there are 6 people in the pot, for $1 that's a lot. The flop comes K65, no diamonds, 2 clubs, and the pre-flop raiser bets $4. In a fit of "WTF" I call his raise. Why WTF? He raised pre-flop and bet big on the flop. What's he got? Maybe he has KK and didn't raise it huge? Maybe he has AK. Maybe he has AA and just became scared of two pair since there's a high card out there. Ok, so maybe he had QQ or JJ or KJ or KT or something and is very agressive.. But I called the $4. The next card is a trash card(I forget what) and he bets $5, and I fold. I would have had to have hit a king or queen to even think about it. So I gave away about $5 on this hand, my worst play so far.

Table 2 - Hand #90 I've got pocket aces in the big blind. Unfortunately only two people are in the hand with me. So I just check. The flop comes QQ4, and I need to findo ut if I'm up against a queen. I bet a weak 50 cent bet, begging for a raise, but both opponents just call. The turn is a 5, and I bet $1, both opponents again call. The river is trash, and I bet $2, one of my opponents calls, the other fold. I show my aces first and win the pot of about $7

Table 2 goes heads up for a short while, and then shuts down. I leave the table with $66.95. That's a profit of $41.95.

I go ahead and find another table that suits me, 6 players for now, stacks between $15 and $35.

Two hours have now passed. The cards have gone very cold, and the tables have slowed a lot. I've played 223 hands, though not all of them are raked, but hopefuly 200 of them have been.

i haven't bet more than $1 into a hand in a long time. On table #1 I have $61.10, down $11 or so in the last hour, and on the new table I have $22.85. Of course I turned a profit of $41.95 at my other table that I left.

Table 1 - Hand #115 I have pocket kings. There's a pre-flop raise to $2, and I raise it up to $5. My opponent goes all in for $20 more. I think about it for awhile, and, well, folding kings just isn't a skill that I have. I call. I'm in great shape, as It's my KK against his AK. The flop is enough to make me cry. QJT. Nice straight buddy. I don't catch the miracle full house and lose a lot of money.

Table 2 - Hand #122 I've got aces, and after a few callers before me, I raise it up to $2. I end up with 3 way action. The flop comes KQ2, and I bet $1 into it and no one calls. Only $6 for my aces. But hey, better than the $25 loss on my kings


I haven't really had many big hands worth writing up after this. I'm kinda floating along, racking up the hands. That loss on pocket kings hurt badly.

After 3 hours, I've seen 315 hands. On my first table I now have $35.95, on the second I've hung around about even, I'm at $27. Add in the $41.95 profit from the table that broke up and I'm still up a little over $50 on the 3 hours.


Haha, WELL, virtual poker has been cancelled for RL poker. My friends I play with are getting a game together tonight. That means I am very unlikely to make the 1500 hands. But hey, this was a solid session.

Table 1 - Finished with $37.25, profit $12.25
Table 2 - Finished with $66.95, profit $41.95
Table 3 - Finished with $31.40, profit $6.40

TOTAL: Profit $60.60, in 3 1/2 hours

This excellent session makes me in total up $148.80 in 19 1/2 hours. That's $7.63/hr.

[Radii]

I sit at a full table for a session today, 10 people between $15 and $40

Hand #1 I get Jc 2c from the big blind and I get to see a free flop. The flop comes 223, and I've flopped trips! There's a lot of people in the pot, and I bet $1.50, only one person calls me. The turn is an ace, and my opponent bets $3, I call. the river is a 9, he again bets $3, and I have put him on an ace pair or maybe two pair, and I call. He turns up a 4 and a 5 for a straight, and I open up down $9 on the very first hand.

Hand #3 I've got Kd Qc on the button, 4 of us see the flop, which comes K97, with two hearts. I call a $1 bet, and the turn is a 2. My opponent bets $1, I raise to $3, and he re-raises to $7. I have to assume I'm beat at this point, but I can't let myself sit here and bet a calling station. 3 hands in I'm down $13.

Hand #8 I've caught another good one. AK from early position. I raise it up to $2, and get re-raised to $6. Well, I've only got $12 left. Screw this, I push all in. My opponent turns up QQ to my AK,the flop comes A99, the rest is rags, and, well, lets just ignore these 8 hands, I've got $25.75 and back to where I started.

Hand #13 Jesus. AA on the button. 3 callers before me, I raise it up to $2, hoping for some action. Both of the blinds call, and two of the early callers... there's my action, 5 way, sheesh. The flop comes T37, with two hearts. There's a $1 bet and I raise it up to $5. Holy crap. 4 people stay in. The turn is a 3... does someone have trips? Everyone checks to me. Do I bet? Is a check raise coming? I bet $5 again. No check-raise, but everyone calls... the river is a 4. We all check. I lose to pocket 7s, for a full house. I dumped $12 into that hand, and amazingly enough so did four other people, so it's a $50 pot.

Hand #18 55 in early position, I get to see a flop for 1 bet. The flop comes K22, and 4 of us check. The turn is a 4, and again everyone checks. The river a 2... I've got a full house. Is there a king? I bet two into it, and no one calls me. I take down $4.15.

Hand #22 I'm in the SB with Kh 3d, I'll pay half a bet for that. The flop comes J96 and everyone checks. The turn is a king, and I bet $1 and get two calers. The river is a 7, there's a 50 cent bet which I call and lose to AK.

Hand #25 I've got another good hand... AK, I raise to $2 with it, and get two callers. The flop is 59T, two diamons(my ace is a diamond), I just check, and face a $2 bet. Do I keep drawing into it? I do, I do! The turn is another 5, we all check. The river is the 3 of diamonds, and I fold to a $5 bet. Down to $7, sometimes shit happens.


Hand #27 AQ... so many good hands, so little money to give away. I raise to $1 with it and only get one caller. The flop sucks, KT5, we both check. The turn is a 4, I bet $1 into it and take the $3.65 pot.

Hand #29 Are you shitting me? AA. I raise to $1. Two people call. Flop is T94... I bet the $3 pot, and win $6.10(including my $3 bet).


For reference, I've been here about an hour now. I've played 30 hands. I've had AA twice, AK twice, AQ, and KQ. And I'm down $15.

Hand #56 After a run of worthless cards, I try to play A2 from the dealer position. There's 4 others in the pot with me, and we all check to the 388 flop. The turn hits my ace, but did it hit someone else's ace too? It's only 50 cents to find out, so I call. The river is a 6 and I call another 50 cent bet. A2 and A4 end up tying thanks to all the overcards on the board and wesplit the pot, about $2.50 for me.

It drops to 2 and 3 way action for about 15 hands. I make an extra buck back and have about $8.45 at hand #75 when it pops back up to 7 people all of a sudden.

Hand #81 I have AK spades one off the button. I raise it to $1 and get 2 callers. The flop is rags, 873, and I think I can steal this, after a check, I bet the pot($2.85) and take it down.

Hand #87 AK, UTG... AK AK AK AK AK. 4 times today. The flop comes T52 after my $1 raise, 3 callers this time. I just check. There's a 50 cent bet and $2 raise after me, and I'm out.

Hand #90 I get to see a free flop with 83, the flop is 864, and I'm in with 3 others. I go ahead and bet the pot, and win it, about $2 and I'm hovering at $10 or so.

Hand #104 I'm in the big blind with Ah 7d, and I go ahead and call one raise to see the flop. 4 other people do too and it's a decent pot of about $5 pre-flop. The flop is rags, but all hearts. I need another heart for the nut flush. I bet $1 and get one caller. The turn is a club, the river a club, and no flush for me, but me and my opponent just check. He missed everything too and my ace high takes down about $8, I'm back up to $13.35.

Hand #113 Guess what I've got. AK, in the big blind. I raise it to $1.50 after 4 people limp to me. 2 of them see the flop, which is nice, K94. I open up for $2 and get two callers. The turn, a queen. I bet another $2, and get a raise to $4. I call it, and the river is great. an ace. My opponent has, what? KQ? I bet $2, get raised all in, and call my last $4. My opponent had JT. Straight! Well, this post proves that I don't always just lose a couple of dollars or win $20.

It took 2 hours, and I end up down $25.

Now I'm up $123.80 in 21 1/2 hours for the week. $5.70 per hour. I can't say that's so bad at such low stakes.

The question I started this thread to ponder, is, how much can I improve on that playing no limit online? If I eventually increase my poker bankroll and play partypoker's $100 NL tables, is it like limit poker where I should expect 4x the return($20/hr if this small sample were to hold up)?

OR, will I be mroe profitable by working my way up the limits in limit poker where i should "expect" $20/hr from 10/20 limits if I am a good player and build my bankroll up to where I can reliably sit at those tables?

I may play another session tonight. If I don't, well, shit, $125 per week will make me a very happy man for the next coupla months. it's only been a week though, and I can't play 20 hours every week, so lets let this sample size grow shall we?

[robbgmaier]

OK, everytime I read about you losing a hand, I have the same question, so I guess I'll finally ask it.

Suppose you get raised out of the blinds in your first two hands, and don't play a hand, and now the big blind is back to you. You are down to $23.50. Supposing this particular table is no better than another, why wouldn't you get up, and sit back down somewhere else, where you can start again with $25?

Isn't the only difference between switching tables and staying that you can win $1.50 less on the next hand (against one opponent all in)? Perhaps it would be a pain in the ass to get up all the time, but surely, once you get down to $10 or so, you just get the hell up, shouldn't you?

[Radii]

Originally posted by robbgmaier
OK, everytime I read about you losing a hand, I have the same question, so I guess I'll finally ask it.

Suppose you get raised out of the blinds in your first two hands, and don't play a hand, and now the big blind is back to you. You are down to $23.50. Supposing this particular table is no better than another, why wouldn't you get up, and sit back down somewhere else, where you can start again with $25?

Isn't the only difference between switching tables and staying that you can win $1.50 less on the next hand (against one opponent all in)? Perhaps it would be a pain in the ass to get up all the time, but surely, once you get down to $10 or so, you just get the hell up, shouldn't you?

Well, on these tables, I can click a button and buy back in for up to $25 whenever I want. I just generally choose not to do so. For now, it's my way of limiting my losses in any one session. I can't lose more than $25, while the potential out there for me to win is unlimited.

Switching tables after just 1 or two times around the blinds I don't think serves much purpose, because you have to put down a big blind when you start at a new table anyway. I don't want to have to pay any more blinds than I have to.

The point about getting down to $10 or less is definitely valid though. I am at a disadvantage when I am at such a small chip count compared to the average stacks on the table. Perhaps I should pick an amount and decide to quit for the session if I drop below it. I have come back from $8 or $9 more than enough times though... maybe $5? $7.50? "doubling up" from $5 doesn't really accomplish much, so you need a very very good run of cards to turn that $5 back into $25 to break even, it's probably best to stand up at the $5 or $10 mark for sure. Or re-buy.

Another thing I've been thinking about, it is VERY rare that I see stacks of $150+ at these tables, and rather rare to see them over $100. I wonder is I should have a win threshold as well. My big sessions involve me hitting one or two very big hands and I often end up with $75 to $90 or so. I rarely improve upon that, and more often than not piss it down to $50 or $60 before I quit.

Perhaps I should institute these two new rules. If I hit $7.50, I quit. If I go over $75, I will evaluate my stack size every 20 hands. If it begins to slowly drop like I'm just slowly pissing it back away, I will quit with my profits. that allows me to keep going if I'm just on a huge roll and getting a huge run of cards, but to stand up with my profits when the good run stops.

[SunDancer]

Radii, you retire the poker thread?

Just curious, how is play in Partypoker.com tourneys and money tables? What are freeroll tourneys?

[Radii]

yeah, I retired the poker thread. I found after awhile that it just didn't make me a better poker player, which was what I was hoping the extra thought and analysis would give me.

For money tables, I like Partypoker the best. For tournaments, pokerstars is my favorite site. PartyPoker runs tournaments like they want them over ASAP, PokerStars runs tournaments like they want to encourage good solid Poker.

A Freeroll is a tournament that costs nothing to enter, but has an award of some kind for the winners. They are apparently all over the place but I still limit myself to the ones at AmericasCardRoom, just because I don't want to be playing free stuff all the time and neglect my main purpose for playing, which is to be giving myself the best chance possible to win money. For me, that doesn't happen at tournaments.

[RPI-Fan]

What's your +/- to this point, Radii?

[Radii]

Originally posted by RPI-Fan
What's your +/- to this point, Radii?

As part of an overall financial change, I've decided to go nuts over the next year and plan to pay off all of my debt by August 1, 2004. One of the decisions involved in that is to not increase my poker bankroll for the next few months. At the end of each month I cash out PartyPoker.com back down to $500 and start over, all cashouts go to my car payment.

After my cashout coming up Sunday I'll have cashed out about $1400 in profits in the last 4 months.

I am becoming convinced that with disclipline(read: don't piss away money at multi table tournaments and other shit goofing around) that I can make a signifigant side income doing this. But, that requires increasing my bankroll, and I'm very very dedicated to the idea of paying off all my debt very soon so I'm forcing myself to be content at the $25 NL/PL tables and the $8/hr or so that they bring in for awhile longer.