Some days poker sucks

[BrianD]

I was playing a freeroll entry $25 payout tournament on Jetset poker and watched one player call an all-in with a 24s and hit the straight. Later, she called my AA all-in with a 25s and picked up two more 5s. Some days I think a person should just call randomly in these darn tournaments.

Ok, mini-rant over.

[Lathum]

I really hate to break this to you, but "freeroll" is the key word.

[GoSeahawks]

25 dollar payout to who? 1st place? Or is that split amongst the 26,000 entrants?

[Mustang]

Bah.. skip the online tournaments.. you should be over at Mason Street today doing one of the tournaments at Oneida..

[BrianD]

I really hate to break this to you, but "freeroll" is the key word.

I suppose this is about the best explanation...

25 dollar payout to who? 1st place? Or is that split amongst the 26,000 entrants?

It is only 400 entrants. I've been playing the $25/$50/$100 payouts since I want to make my online poker fortune without ever depositing any money. :)

Bah.. skip the online tournaments.. you should be over at Mason Street today doing one of the tournaments at Oneida..

Are you from this area, and have you been over there? I've always wondered what the competition was like there.

[Lathum]

Bah.. skip the online tournaments.. you should be over at Mason Street today doing one of the tournaments at Oneida..
When did they get poker there?

[BrianD]

When did they get poker there?

They have had it for a couple of months now.

[Mustang]

Are you from this area, and have you been over there? I've always wondered what the competition was like there.

I'm down in West Bend.

Been to Oneida on Mason street to play cards a few times. Mixed bag of people really although, seems alot of the players don't like to drop at all even if it is pretty obvious of what the other player has so, I find myself playing tighter.... Minimum table that I've seen is 3/6. There is usually a 5/10 table going and a no limit game going.

I haven't tried one of their tournaments yet just because you have to sign up by 5:00 and they suggest signing up by 3:00 because they fill up. My work schedule doesn't allow that although, next Wednesday, I'm off most of the day so I was going to head up there.. $60 entrance fee for $1,500 in chips. Additional $5 for another 300 in chips (5 goes to the dealer). Rebuys the first 2 rounds for $20 if you are below $1,500

[Comey]

JetSet is great, and extremely profitable. I haven't put a dime into any site, and I have $70 on JetSet. I finished fifth out of 400 in one of those freerolls, and parlayed that into $50 by finishing third out of 500 in their weekly "Main Event".

The next day, I won $40 for winning a $1 buy-in tourney. I've put some back in $5 tournies, but I'm consistently winning in the $1 tourney (finished second yesterday). I also find the $.25/$.50 tables as easy money.

I know it's not the greatest achievement in the world, but I am pleased. I don't play for real money that often (there's not a lot of poker here in Harrisburg), but I'm consistently winning...without depositing anything. I've finished at six or seven final tables in the last week on JetSet, and I can routinely finished in the top 15-20 there. I don't know what it is, but I just do really well on JetSet. Giddyup.

[BrianD]

JetSet is great, and extremely profitable. I haven't put a dime into any site, and I have $70 on JetSet. I finished fifth out of 400 in one of those freerolls, and parlayed that into $50 by finishing third out of 500 in their weekly "Main Event".

The next day, I won $40 for winning a $1 buy-in tourney. I've put some back in $5 tournies, but I'm consistently winning in the $1 tourney (finished second yesterday). I also find the $.25/$.50 tables as easy money.

I know it's not the greatest achievement in the world, but I am pleased. I don't play for real money that often (there's not a lot of poker here in Harrisburg), but I'm consistently winning...without depositing anything. I've finished at six or seven final tables in the last week on JetSet, and I can routinely finished in the top 15-20 there. I don't know what it is, but I just do really well on JetSet. Giddyup.


You must be a better player than me. I haven't entered that many tournaments, but aside from one 43rd place finish, I haven't broken into the top 100. Some of that is my fault for dumb plays, but others are just bad beats. I suppose in the long run, I'll eventually avoid the bad beats and make some money.

What I really need to do is buy a tournament book and see what tips change from the winning low-limit book.

[Comey]

On JetSet, it's just common sense (not saying you have any). Pull yourself back a step or two from the table and see exactly what these people are playing.

If you wait it out a little bit, and be patient, you'll be fine. Also, when you get down to the bubble, the tournament tightens up so much, it's easy to build your stack.

I consider myself a good tournament player as it is (I've won a couple local tournaments, and can usually get top 10% of the tournaments I play). I don't know what it is. I'm not a great ring game player, though I'm getting better. But I've always been very, very solid at tournaments.

I recommend "Harrington on Hold'em" if you're interested in reading.

[BrianD]

On JetSet, it's just common sense (not saying you have any). Pull yourself back a step or two from the table and see exactly what these people are playing.

If you wait it out a little bit, and be patient, you'll be fine. Also, when you get down to the bubble, the tournament tightens up so much, it's easy to build your stack.

I consider myself a good tournament player as it is (I've won a couple local tournaments, and can usually get top 10% of the tournaments I play). I don't know what it is. I'm not a great ring game player, though I'm getting better. But I've always been very, very solid at tournaments.

I recommend "Harrington on Hold'em" if you're interested in reading.

I'd like to think I have some common sense. :)

I normally play very tight in these tournaments. It seems like generally in these types of tournaments, the best strategy is to just stay away and let all of the poor players get picked off...only play really good hands. Once the poor players get picked off, then you can expect people to not go all in with bad cards and try to pull out a miracle.

[Comey]

But by then, you're in a gambling situation because most times, you're short-stacked. I play somewhat the same way, but I play pretty loose...playing hands down to 76s. I love to see cheap flops, so if it's a one-gap connector, I'll play it.

Also, on JetSet, you can push others around. I've made quite a few plays where I got chips in a pot where I had 7-high. I'm not a bluffer, but I've found it to be lucrative in those tournaments.

-John

[timmynausea]

I second Harrington on Hold 'Em as a good poker book.

[Lathum]

But by then, you're in a gambling situation because most times, you're short-stacked. I play somewhat the same way, but I play pretty loose...playing hands down to 76s. I love to see cheap flops, so if it's a one-gap connector, I'll play it.

Also, on JetSet, you can push others around. I've made quite a few plays where I got chips in a pot where I had 7-high. I'm not a bluffer, but I've found it to be lucrative in those tournaments.

-John
In tournaments like these where ther are alot of loose players the best thing to do is play tight in early position and as you get closer to the button loosen up your hand requirements. The latter you bet the more information you get from your opponents. That makes it much eaiser to determine if you are getting the right odds to call on a draw.

[sooner333]

In tournaments like these where ther are alot of loose players the best thing to do is play tight in early position and as you get closer to the button loosen up your hand requirements. The latter you bet the more information you get from your opponents. That makes it much eaiser to determine if you are getting the right odds to call on a draw.

Very, very important here. I raked in the money at a 3/6 game last night (at Thunderbird Casino) because early on I played my drawing hands in position for one bet. My table was amazing at tons of callers to see the flop, then it became just calling my draws. I think I was one of two or three people for four hours who ever raised preflop ever. Also, I figured that out and was able to then play drawing hands from early positions (but you never want to sit down and do that, I was at an incredibly loose, passive table.)

[Comey]

Agreed, but the other thing is...people are playing loose. But they aren't aggressive (ie lots of limping), and they are passive postflop. That allows me to limp in with less than spectacular hands. Now, I don't play just any two...still mainly Ax>8, K>9, pocket pairs and suited connectors. That's in MP to late. EP, still tight.

-John

[BrianD]

Grrr, I think I've got bad luck at Jetset. I had Q2o in the BB, got a few cards for free and ended up with a set of 2s. I raised big when the set hit and was called by a guy holding K2o. I can win the Poker Stars Sit-n-Gos all over the place, but I keep busting out early at Jetset.

[Comey]

I won a satellite last night to get back to the ATW main event. I have some unfinished business to attend to in that tournament.

[BrianD]

Thanks for the tips Comey. I entered another tournament this afternoon and went in for some cheap flops on cards I usually wouldn't play. By doing so, I managed to hit enough flops to keep my stack growing around the same rate as the blinds so seeing the flop was always fairly cheap.

I ended this tourney is 90th place on a hand that I don't think I could have played any differently.

Blinds were 100/200. I had KK as the BB (6000ish in chips). I raised as the bet came around to me and only the button called (12000ish). After the flop: 8d2h6h, I bet 1000. Button raised for all of my chips, and I called. Button had 6c7c. After the turn and the river, the board was 8d2h6h10c7h. His two pair beat my kings, and I was out.

The button had been throwing his chips around scaring off players. I thought this was my chance to hit big. Bad luck, but I think I've got a better understanding at playing better earlier in the tourney.

[Maple Leafs]

Can anyone explain to a newbie what freeroll is and how it works? I see it on Pokerstars, but no explanation of when it kicks in and whether it's available to cheapskates like me who haven't deposited anything yet.

(Part of me knows it's better not to ask, since if I ever did get a few bucks of real free money out of pokerstars it would probably be the tipping point into my inevitable gambling problem.)

[Lathum]

I ended this tourney is 90th place on a hand that I don't think I could have played any differently.

Not trying to sound like a jerk but you can always find something different you could have done. Maybe the last hand you you couldn't have played differently, but there is alway room for improvment.

[timmynausea]

For most freerolls you don't have to make a deposit to play, poker stars included.

http://www.sweetfreerolls.com

That site has a big schedule of freerolls. They are pretty crazy, but I had a lot of fun playing them back in the day.

[cartman]

Grrr...

Got KK on back to back hands and lost big on both of them. Then I was taken out 3 hands later holding AA.

[BrianD]

Not trying to sound like a jerk but you can always find something different you could have done. Maybe the last hand you you couldn't have played differently, but there is alway room for improvment.

I certainly wasn't happy with 90th place. Anything short of the real money payout makes me unhappy. I'm just thinking that I probably would have called most anything in this spot and would have busted out. The only thing that would have saved me was to have started with more chips than this guy.

At least I can feel ok knowing that I was in decent (not great) position before the hand. I can improve on this.

[BrianD]

For most freerolls you don't have to make a deposit to play, poker stars included.

http://www.sweetfreerolls.com

That site has a big schedule of freerolls. They are pretty crazy, but I had a lot of fun playing them back in the day.

Are these all freerolls with real money payouts, or entrances to real money payout tournaments? If so, I think my schedule just got very full.

[Glengoyne]

A RL friend of mine and I play mostly on Paraise Poker. In the past two days he has knocked me out of a $15 tourney and a 10+1 mini tourney. We intended to play in the same mini, but "luck" just put us together at the same table after the first break in the $15 tourney.

Both times he called my all in push before the flop. Both times I had high overcards, and he had low pocket pairs 55 and 66. He went on to win both tournaments. Almost $2k in the big tournament.

[timmynausea]

Are these all freerolls with real money payouts, or entrances to real money payout tournaments? If so, I think my schedule just got very full.
Most of them have real money payouts. Some have some restrictions. Up until really recently Poker Room had 2 $1000 freerolls every day, but you had to use player points to collect your winnings. (I just noticed that they cut back to $500.) If you hadn't made a deposit previously you had 60 days to do so and earn enough player points to get your freeroll money.
Most on that schedule are totally free and have real money prize pools that you can collect without any problems, though. I won a $1000 freeroll on interpoker a couple months ago and got $280 for it.

[BrianD]

Most of them have real money payouts. Some have some restrictions. Up until really recently Poker Room had 2 $1000 freerolls every day, but you had to use player points to collect your winnings. (I just noticed that they cut back to $500.) If you hadn't made a deposit previously you had 60 days to do so and earn enough player points to get your freeroll money.
Most on that schedule are totally free and have real money prize pools that you can collect without any problems, though. I won a $1000 freeroll on interpoker a couple months ago and got $280 for it.

Sweet. I'm going to thank you now for showing me that site, though I'll probably be cursing you later. Seems like there is almost always a freeroll tourney going on with real money payout.

Oh, and for those that care, Absolute poker give a free $50 initial deposit, but you do have to play with it long enough to earn some player points before you can withdraw. Nice little surprise.