Butter's Adventures of a Poker Novice

[Butter]

2 weeks in, how am I doing?

Total bankroll start: $75
Current bankroll: $73.57
-1.43 overall

Well, it breaks down like this:
Ring games
Bought in with $41, left with $36.03
-4.97 in 17 sessions

Limit hold'em ring games
+2.23 in 5 sessions

PL Omaha ring games
+2.01 in 4 sessions

NL Hold 'Em ring games
-9.21 in 8 sessions

Tournaments
Bought in with $30.80, left with $34.34
+3.54 in 22 tournaments

NLHE Sit 'n Go's
-5.80 in 12 tournaments
1 first place, 1 second place, 10 no cashes

Omaha SNG's
+9.80 in 3 tournaments
1 first place, 1 second place, 1 triple up, cashed in all 3

NLHE Multi-Table tournaments
-.26 in 7 tournaments
1 cash in 7 attempts


Probably still too early to tell anything, but I'm starting to suspect that No Limit Hold 'Em just isn't my thing.

My 2 biggest wins though were netting $9.64 on a single NLHE Multi-Table tournament (the "Super Knockout" one), and netting $5.70 on a Pot Limit Omaha Hi Sit 'n Go. My worst losses have been losing $2.20 on three $2 multi-table tournaments and not cashing in them, losing $2.69 the one day I tried "Zone Poker" which is essentially like playing 4x as many hands an hour as a regular player, and the 3 times I have sat at a no limit cash game and busted out with $2.

Still too early to get an actual read, but I may start playing some more limit and cash games and saving NLHE for tournaments, as that was my biggest source of losses so far.

[Butter]

August 14-16
Start: $73.57

I played a lot this weekend. A lot. Didn't hurt that I wrenched my back on Sunday cleaning up some large tree waste in the back yard.

Some interesting stuff happened. I earned enough points to gain another $10 bonus. So now I have to play A LOT more by the beginning of October to earn a final $15. May or may not be doable, if I keep hammering the Omaha cash tables it is definitely doable.

Played 6 multi-table no-limit hold 'em tournaments, and didn't cash in a single one. Andrea played 2 of them. We both continue to fail to win anything resembling a coin flip, it's actually getting comical at this point. Last night in the $1,000 Guaranteed tournament, I had TT in the BB... it was raised then re-raised ahead of me. I considered for a good long while, then decided to fold. Flop came 66T. I literally said out loud "Fuck you, game." Luckily the kids were in bed. That tilted me, I think. I proceeded to go all-in later to an aggressive stealer who called my AQd with KTo, and I lost when the board came with only 2 diamonds and no pair, something like KJ632. Thanks for nothing.

Also played 4 sit 'n go's. 1 NLHE, and 3 Omaha. Did not cash in either, finished 7th in NLHE, 5th in the 2 regular Omaha's. The 3rd Omaha tourney, I tried the $3 Triple-Up again, where the top 3 all get $9 instead of a standard 1st, 2nd, 3rd structure. I would've made the final 2 had it been a standard tourney, as the big stack knocked out 2 players on the final hand. So, I won $9 for my lone cash out of 11 tournaments played (including a freeroll).

For ring play, I played a single limit hold 'em table, but other than that, played a TON of Pot-Limit Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo. At the limit table, I lost .88 in that single session. At the Omaha tables (varied between 6 and 9 players depending on what was available), I ended up $2.77. At the Hi/Lo tables, I ended up $3.15 thanks to two monster hands on Sunday.

In the first, I was already up $1.72 when I was dealt JJ32, 2 clubs on the button. I called for .05, SB raised to .25 and one other player called including me. 3 to the flop which was 94J rainbow. Couldn't get much better for me. Figure the only thing that I had to worry about was some kind of wrap with QTxx in another hand. I bet the pot, which was .80 and both players called me. Turn was an Ace of spades. That gives me the nut-low also if it were to complete with anything above a 4... as I now had 4-3-2-A. Action checks to me, I go all-in for my final $2.67. Neither player covered me, but they both called me.

SB and original raiser turns up 6TQT with 2 spades... he had the hand I had to worry about. Other guy was pretty much just praying for a Lo to complete, showing 7A72 with 3 diamonds.

River was a 4th Jack, so the Low hand didn't complete, and I scoop the whole thing, over $8.

The other hand I dominated was me in the SB. A hand I wouldn't normally play, I get 7493 with 2 spades in the SB. I call, then the BB min-raises to .10. We have 5 players of 8 to the flop for .10. Flop is A62, 2 hearts. That's a GREAT low hand for me. I go for the check raise. BB bets .50, 2 of the other 3 players call. I raise all-in for my last $2.34 at the table. All 3 call. Only 2 players left have money, and they check it down.

Turn is a 5c, which completes my wheel for the Low. River is an 8 of clubs, for which my wrap fits perfectly, giving me the nut high straight 5 through 9.

Board: 26A58 with no flush possibilities
Me: 7493
BB: Q5Q4 rainbow
UTG: 7JKJ 2 hearts
Dealer: 67A3 2 diamonds

Best they had was two pair. So they all had a tenuous reason to be in the pot, but none of their draws hit and I was winning at least half the pot anyway with my Low. I netted nearly $6 with that hand alone. I wasn't having a great Omaha weekend until those last couple of hands.

Finish: $78.91
(-9.70 in tournaments, +5.04 ring games, +10 in bonus)

[Butter]

August 19-20
Start: $78.91

Not a great week for me. Lost a couple of big hands of PLO H/L.

In one, I was starting with AA24 double suited, which is literally the 2nd best starting hand. I pushed all in pre-flop, the other guy turned over AA67 rainbow, and I lost. It happens.

Other than that, it was just a slow grinding down in most cases. I lost more big hands that I showed down than I won. When I was pushing with big draws, they wouldn't make. I also stopped re-raising pre-flop in cash games, as that was losing me a lot of money as well. I was playing almost ALL Omaha Hi/Lo. I prefer playing at 9-handed tables, but none were available the last couple of days, so I played at 6-ers. I don't know if that made a difference or not. You are certainly supposed to loosen up your starting hand restrictions, and I felt like I was doing that, I just wasn't making anything almost ever. Or when I was, it wouldn't hold up.

I realize not raising is a recipe for disaster the more I think about it, so I gotta stop that line of thinking. It was maybe limiting my losses, but it was also neutering my wins as I was playing SO TIGHT that no one would call my bets.

On the plus side, I had my first cash in a NLHE sit 'n go in like FOREVER. The table was playing so tight, I started just raising with literally about half my hands, and taking a lot of pots. I ended up losing heads-up, but did make it to 2nd.

I made another "hero" fold as well... this time in the $3 PLO Triple-Up that I played that ended up costing me the money, as I would've won the hand, tripled-up in chips, and likely coasted to the money. I had a draw to both the nut flush and the nut low with one card to come, but laid it down with a raise and re-raise all-in in front of me... and it completed. I gotta stop playing so tight in tournaments, I guess. Tournament play and cash game play are not the same, and I can't treat them the same.

Finish: $67.65
(-2.80 in tournaments, -8.46 in ring games)

I had another site that I signed up with for just freerolls just give me $5 in real money to play with, so I may take a couple of stabs there and see if I can build that this weekend.

[Butter]

August 22-23
Start: $67.65

A decent weekend. Started out strongly by winning nearly $5 at 2 PLO tables.

Big hand of the session which nearly won $3 on its own was:
I had AKTQ with 2 hearts in the SB... I just completed the BB and it was just me and him to the flop:

• J7T with one heart.

I bet .10 and got called.

• Turn was an 8 of hearts.

I now had an absolute ton of outs to win the hand, any heart (9 more), and any Ace, King, Queen, or 9 (12 of those, 4 of which were hearts also) would make the nut straight. I would probably lose on any blank.
I bet .15 and the BB raised it pot size, to .75. I called.

• River was the straight making King of diamonds.

I bet pot-size, which was 1.80 and was called. He mucked, but on later review showed his hand to be Q494 with 2 hearts. He was drawing to a worse flush and straight. He actually made his straight on the turn while I got mine on the river. Tough luck.

A sample hand I lost on would be one where I made trips on the flop, but lost to a hidden full house (player had a pocket pair of 6's on a board of 6JJ which I bet hard holding a Jack, but lost).

I then placed 5th in a top-3 get paid Triple Up Omaha tournament. But I did place 2nd in a $1 PLO SNG, which netted me 1.60 and got me over $71.

I then spent a very long time at 4 PLO tables (I vary between Hi/Lo and regular, 6-players and 9 quite a bit), gaining $1.72 and moving up to near $73.

After which I proceeded to bust out of a $1 Multi-Table tournament in 54th of 200+ where only 27 places paid.

And lost in 5th of a $1 NLHE SNG.

Then I took some beats at Omaha to push me back under the $70 mark by end of Saturday night.


Sunday, I pushed back over $75 briefly, thanks to this hand at a straight Omaha table.

I have $1.90 and am dealt A6TJ double suited in middle position. UTG raises, and we get 6(!) callers of 9 to the flop, so the pot is already at $1.02 when this comes:

• Q85, 2 clubs

That's my suited Ace. I am on a straight up flush draw with a backdoor straight draw to protect me if a 9 or King were to come.
UTG bets pot, $1.02. I move my remaining $1.45 in... 3 callers remain in the hand.

• Turn is 7 of diamonds.

That's not me, but nothing I can do about it at this point. Action is checked around with already $6+ in the pot.

• River is 2 of clubs.

That makes my flush. UTG goes all-in, and gets one caller. They all show a flush, but worse ones, and I rake $6.48.

Sadly, I don't do great at much else, and head into 2 multi-table tournaments at $74.

C-Fan plays the $2 NLHE MTT with $500 guaranteed, and I start the one that is the same buy-in but for $1000 guaranteed about 90 minutes later.

I lost out in mine early when my AK lost vs. AQ as per usual.

In C-Fan's, she got QQ in middle position early, and raised to 70 (blinds are 10/20 at this point, with stack size of 3000). Got one caller out of position. Flop was 26T rainbow. Caller bet 130, C-Fan re-raised to 560. He called again. Turn was an Ace. He checked, and Andrea bet about half pot, 645. Caller goes all-in. C-Fan thinks for a moment, but decides to lay it down. Knocked her to about half her stack size... upon later review (after 1 day, you can review all hole cards from all players even if they don't show during the hand), he was playing 44. Basically bluffed us off half her money. At the time, I felt that if she was willing to bet 645 into the pot when a scare card came, she was willing to go all-in. Didn't work out.

C-Fan makes it through the break and early in the 2nd hour with blinds at 125/250, 25 ante she gets 66 UTG. She decides to flat call. Cutoff made it 800 to go, Dealer calls. C-Fan decides to go all in with her last 2800. They both call. Relief comes when the board brings a 6. She triples up off this to nearly 9k in chips.

A bit later, C-Fan completes the small blind with 88 facing 2 other players. Flop comes 84J... she tries the check raise, but no bets. Turn is another 4, giving her a full house. She goes for a min bet of 400 trying to get some callers. MP caller min-raises to 800. C-Fan raises back to 2000. MP goes all-in, C-Fan calls and sees A4o turned over. River is a meaningless Ace (gave MP a worse full house), and C-Fan is now threatening 20k chips.

Sadly, not much else happens. She folds a lot of rag cards and doesn't get anything to flop with her speculative hands or blinds. With only 7 players to the money, blinds at 500/1000 and her stack at 12k, she gets AJh. She calls and gets a raiser behind her who has a monster stack. She decides to go all-in against him. He insta-calls and turns over KK (literally the 3rd time in about 20 hands he has showed down KK). Board comes 95T8...T giving her a whiff and putting her out in 61st place out of just over 200 players. While she probably could've limped to the money (which was about $4 for the lowest tier), she decided to keep playing her game and it popped her bubble.

With the 2 MTT tourney whiffs, that brought my roll back down below $70.

Finish: $69.61
(+10.26 in ring games, -8.30 in tournaments)(with one near miss)

[Butter]

August 24th
Start: $69.61

I start with a rare $2 PLO Multi-Table tournament. It starts with literally 4 players, but late registrants soon get it up to 20.

Very early, I get AKQQ with AK of spades. Board comes 89Q with 2 spades. I have top set and the nut flush draw. I decide this is good enough to go all-in with vs. heavy betting (someone clearly either has 89 or JT, probably JT to a flopped straight). Sure enough, they do, but board doesn't help me and I'm the first one out. I look it up later, and even with their flopped straight, I was still 65% to win after the flop. Alas.

I make some good progress at the cash tables even with the loss, getting my roll up to $75+ before sitting at another $3 Omaha Triple-Up SNG.

I made it to the Final 4, where it was me and 2 other guys vs. a bully. He was raising almost every pot while we were on the cash bubble. I decide finally that my AK56 double-suited is good enough to fight back with. I win when the board comes 3467K, and that's enough to pretty much coast to a Final 3 win of $9 and get my roll over $80 for the first time.

Then I proceed to sit at a PLO H/L 6 max table and bust out 3 times for $2 each. I also had to add $1 back to one table after getting down to 20 cents. Way to blow the winnings there. I spend $10 at 3 tables and end up with .65 to show for it by the end of that. I decide to try a couple of other tables.

At one of these, I sit at a 9-max table. After 4 or 5 hands, it is clear that there are 2 guys who are just constantly going all-in against each other. Literally every hand. People start grumbling in the chat. I decide that this is my chance. Me and another guy decides to go all-in with them on another hand. He wins the Hi, I win the Lo for $5.54 and promptly exit that shit.

I do fine at the other tables and end with $76+.

As a nightcap, I decide to tackle one final $3 PLO Triple-Up SNG... This follows a familiar formula, we get down to the Final 4, and one bully pushes the others around. I decide to take a stand this time with 9TJQ double-suited. I suck out a win there vs. 9747 as little help comes for either of us... I win the hand with a pair of Queens. I ride that double-up to a cash at this one too, and end the night well over $80 for the first time.

Finish: $82.44
(+3.63 in ring games, +9.20 in tournaments)

[Butter]

3+ weeks in, how am I doing?

Total bankroll start: $75
Current bankroll: $82.44
+7.44 overall

Well, it breaks down like this:
Ring games
Bought in with $168, left with $173.50
+5.50 in 68 sessions

Limit hold'em ring games
+1.35 in 6 sessions

PL Omaha ring games
+11.21 in 21 sessions

PL Omaha Hi/Lo ring games
+2.15 in 33 sessions

NL Hold 'Em ring games
-9.21 in 8 sessions

Tournaments
Bought in with $74.80, won $66.74
-8.06 in 45 tournaments

NLHE Sit 'n Go's
Bought in with $16.50, won $9.90
-6.60 in 15 tournaments
1 first place, 2 second place, 10 no cashes

Omaha SNG's
Bought in with $6.60, won $9
+2.40 in 6 tournaments
1 first place, 1 second place, 1 third place, 3 no cashes

Omaha Triple-Up SNG's
Bought in with $19.80, won $36
+16.20 in 6 tournaments
Finished in the money in 4 of 6.

NLHE Multi-Table tournaments
Bought in with $34.10, won $11.84
-22.26 in 20 tournaments
1 cash / top-10, 19 no cashes

+$10 in bonus money from the site

[Butter]

Hit a bad run where I was playing almost all Omaha, and losing A LOT. Was playing way too tight, but the times I was calling I was always calling with 2nd best hands. Not sure if it was a bad run, bad playing, some combo of them both.

But I have been running good in another form of poker, and I finally cashed the last of my bonus.

7 weeks in, how am I doing?

Total bankroll start: $75
Current bankroll: $126.47
+51.47 overall

Well, it breaks down like this:

Ring games
Bought in with $241.63, left with $210.18
-31.45 in 100+ sessions


Tournaments
Bought in with $136.10, won $169.02
+32.92 in 61 tournaments

NLHE Sit 'n Go's
Bought in with $19.80, won $9.90
-9.90 in 16 tournaments
1 first place, 2 second place, 11 no cashes

Omaha SNG's
Bought in with $7.70, won $9
+1.30 in 7 tournaments
1 first place, 1 second place, 1 third place, 4 no cashes

Omaha Triple-Up SNG's
Bought in with $36.30, won $54
+17.70 in 11 tournaments
Finished in the money in 6 of 11.

NLHE Multi-Table tournaments
Bought in with $60.40, won $96.12
+35.72 in 27 tournaments
6 cashes, 3 top-10s, 21 no cashes, cashes in 5 of last 7 tournaments entered

Omaha MTT's
Bought in with $14, won $0
-14.00 in 3 tournaments
0 cashes out of 3

+$50 in bonus money from the site

I ran the math, and these numbers don't QUITE add up, I'm off by like $1 somewhere in here, but you'll just have to deal with it.

You can see that I have a wild swing down in Ring Games, and a wild swing up in Tournament play. And I gathered a bonus.

So, without the bonus, I am literally up $1.47 through all of this. But I feel like I was nailing it in the multi-table tournaments I was in recently. That'll be detailed in the next post.

[Butter]

Aug. 25 - Sept. 17

Started this stretch with $82.44. Ran it down to just over $35 with mostly Omaha ring play. I decided one week that I was going to make that second bonus before the early October deadline, and I did. That was an additional $40, so that got me back to near $80.

It was about this time I started playing a few more NLHE multi-table tournaments. Because that and Omaha are my 2 favorite things to play, and Omaha was starting to piss me off.

So, I found myself playing a couple of multi-table Omaha tournaments and not doing all that great in them. Didn't make the money in any of them, and was certainly not being blessed with any big hands in them either. Found myself getting money in against people with AAxx and losing more often than not. Similar to cash games.

I decided to enter the 6:45 PM daily $500 guaranteed $2.20 tournament. This is one that I have crapped out in a few times before. You start with 3k chips in this one, as opposed to the normal 1500 chips in other tournaments.

Here are a couple of key hands:

I have about 5k chips with blinds 75/150 and get AJc in 3rd position. I smooth call, and 4 to the flop which comes T8K with 2 clubs. I bet pot size of 600, and the dealer raises me all in for his last 1700. With such a strong draw and a gutshot possibility, I figure to go ahead and put it in.

He shows Q3c, and he is dominated. I just have to dodge a Q or a 3 and I win. Turn is 9h, and river is Qh, which actually makes my straight. I get up to 7200 chips with this.

3 hands later in the BB, I call a 300 chip raise from the SB with K9h. Flop is T5K, 2 diamonds. SB bets 600. I raise enough to put him all-in, which is about 2200 more. He calls, and shows ATo. Top pair holds up, and I improve to over 10k in chips.

A bit later, I am up to 14k in chips, blinds at 500/1000 with 100 antes. I get 55 in the small blind and raise to 3800. BB decides to raise all-in. It is another 4600 to call, and I am hoping for a coin flip as I make the call.

It is not, as he shows 77. Board comes Q9536, and I get up to 24k in chips with the trips.

About 7 hands later, I get TT in the BB. Cutoff min-raises to 2400. I re-raise him all in, which is about 8200 more. He calls inexplicably with 78c. Board comes T2KJQ, and I get to over 36k in chips, knocking him out in 47th place.

I later get to 50k in chips, and the tournament lead with A2o in the BB when the board comes 223 and I raise the dealer's C-bet.

With blinds at 2500/5000 and me down to 40k in chips, I get AJd in the BB. UTG raises to 15k. I decide this is good enough and shove. He turns up KQo, but luck is not on my side this time, as the board comes with 2 Queens, and ends my tournament.

I finish 17th in a 200+ person field where 36 pay. The pay only really got above $5 in the final 18, so this was a decent cash at $8.37.

I didn't make a lot of great plays in this, but got good hands in the blinds and was able to disguise the strength of my holdings and made that work to maximum effect.

The next day, I cashed for $5 in a $2 tournament, and $3.30 in a $1 multi-tabler to make 3 in a row.

The next couple don't go great, but I am holding steady at around $80.

[Butter]

Sept. 18-20

On Friday night after we get back from our trip to Louisville for the Clemson-Louisville game, I settle down for that same $2 6:45 PM multi-table tournament.

I get up to about 4300 before this hand, where I get AA on the button with blinds at 100/200. I get the dream scenario, where I have a raise and a caller before it gets to me. I re-raise to 1800. I get 2 callers to the flop, which is K99. A little scary, but I press on. One bettor goes all in with their last 300. I re-raise enough to put other guy all-in, and HE calls also.

Turns out I'm up against JTh and 66. 66 was REAL optimistic. JT has at least a gutshot, but the final 2 cards are a 2 and a 3, so I bust the 11k chip mark.

Then, I start stealing. A lot. The table is tight, so I make the most of it. I end up doubling my stack with a lot of small wins, up to 22k.

I straight up take a pot from someone, as cutoff raises to 800 with blinds at 200/400. I had 39d in the small blind. Board comes with a bunch of scare cards, I bet out on it and win.

With 29k in chips, I get QQ UTG. I raise to 2200 with blinds at 250/500. SB calls me. Flop is Q6J, 2 spades. I hope to check raise, but nothing doing. Turn is an Ace of spades, SB bets 1k, and I call. SB bets 1k on the river, which is a 4h, a blank. I raise to 5k. He calls and mucks 2 of a kind, A6o.

That puts me into the tournament chip lead at nearly 39k.

Unfortunately, I gave 7k of it back overplaying A5o against a K44 board vs. someone who has a pocket pair. I end up all in because of math, but lose.

With blinds at 1000/2000, and us just into the money (45 places pay), I get J5c in the BB. One caller around to me. Cutoff bets 4k on the flop of A9K, with the AK being of clubs. I have the 2nd nut flush draw, and call. Turn is a Jack of diamonds. I call another 4k bet. River is a 2c, making my flush. I put Cutoff in position to call for his tournament life, another 7300 chips. He calls, I win with the flush, and he mucks a single pair. He's out in 33rd place, and I double up to over 43k chips.

I lose half my stack with AQo vs. 9Ts when the board comes QJ8 on the flop and flops him a straight. Back to 23k with under 18 players left. I claw gradually back up over 40k.

Big stack is to my left, and he tries to steal my blind a bit later. I decide to call his shove with my KJd, and win when a K comes on the board vs. his T7o. I get to over 92k chips.

I make it to the final table with 89k chips, and am the 5th largest stack. I hang around, and survive another couple of places. With a stack of 69k and blinds at 3500/7000, and the table at 5-handed, I decide to try to steal the blinds with a shove with K9d. I am called by KTs, and the board is no help to either of us, so I lose out-kicked to KTs. I probably could've survived another spot, which would've been another $20.

But as it is, I finish 5th, and make $43.23 my best showing by far in one of these tournaments.

[Butter]

The next night, I end up in a $4 late night "Beginner" hold 'em tournament, and I was the chip leader in this tournament as well, pulling off one triple barrel bluff late on, but ultimately finishing 4th in a field of 71 to win $24.14 and bump myself up over $125.

Then I hit a run of bad luck at cash tables and tournaments to drop back below $90.

Actually, I was making a ton of stupid calls at a step up from my normal Omaha tables, .05/.10 pot limit. I lost like $7-8 in a couple of evenings work, then missed cashing in a couple of $5 tourneys to get it back below $100, then back below $90.

Sept. 23
Start: $88.10

In my most recent tournament, it was an $11 buy-in, deep stack style tourney with $4,000 prize pool guaranteed. Everyone started with 10,000 chips and the levels go up every 10 minutes, making it a very slow going tournament. This is my style.

I was not doing so well early getting down to under 5k in chips around the first break.

I was able to hit a couple of hands a bit later, and work my way up to 20k as the tourney hit the second hour break.

I got up to close to 50k in chips and in the top 10 in the tournament shortly thereafter, as the registration closed and we finalize at 483 entries.

I pull JT on the button and call a small raise with the blinds at 400/800. Flop comes 89T... 2 spades. So I have top pair, middling kicker. This is a super draw heavy board, so I call a 6000 chip bet into a 17k chip pot.

Turn is a K of spades. I call a 10k chip bet again, and river is an Ace. I don't make my draw, and my middle pair on the board is likely no good. Looking back, I wish I had pushed on the flop, I might've gotten some people off their hand. I have to fold to a river bet of nearly all of my stack.

That drops me to 22k with the blinds starting to hurt.

I am able to hang around in the tournament, as I am now something like 75th in chips with 95 left and only 54 spots to pay.

I get moved tables, and then I start picking up hands. I double up off the same guy to my right twice with AQ vs. A9 and KK vs. 99. That gets me back off of just praying to make the bubble.

A few rounds later, with 55 players left I push in a 3x size raise with blinds at 2500/5000 UTG with a pair of 5's. It folds around to the big blind, who is the guy that I've doubled up off of twice. He takes 2 minutes of time, then folds not wanting to lose 1 off the money bubble. He shows AT suited. That would've been a flip, but I don't blame him for not wanting to flip on the bubble.

After the money is made, he raises me from the button, I push my last 60k in with 99... he thinks and calls with A8o. He doesn't get his Ace, and I get up over 100k in chips and he exits shortly after the money bubble.

The table at this point goes berserk, seeming all-ins and knockouts every hand... and we get from 54 down to 24 rather quickly, and I make the 5th hour of the tournament in 22nd of 24 players left with 71k chips.

Blinds are 5k/10k with 1k ante after the break, and I have to pick a hand and go with it, as I only have enough chips for about 3 more orbits.

I pick up A6 in the BB... but 2 players behind me go all in. I decide that this is it. They both show a pocket pair, 88 and 99. Board comes 235...A...J. I triple up to over 160k and get off of life support.

A couple of hands later, I get AK on the button. I go all in against the big stack. He's got 66... flop includes a K, and I double to over 300k in chips, 3rd in the tournament.

Better yet, I make another money level, making the final 2 tables.

Some guy beats AQ and AA with 99 when a 9 hits the board, and we're down to 16. Next money level is at the final table.

QQ beats AT and we're down to 15.

I hold K9o in the BB, I call a min-raise and win with a flop bet when the board comes 952 rainbow.

AQ beats A3 in a blind battle when an Ace hits the board, and we're down to 14.

Blinds are up to 6k/12k with 1200 ante. I am hanging out around 300k chips. I have tightened it way down, as everyone seems to be finding every hand good enough to shove at this point.

Someone from the other table is out, and we're down to 13 players.

Short stack on my table goes all-in, big stack calls him with J6 vs. 99... Jack hits the board and we're down to 12, I am in 7th chip position with 285k.

Meanwhile, I am getting no cards of note, and am folding pretty much every hand.

Small stack goes all-in, gets called by 2 players. 99 beats JQ, and we're down to 11 players as blinds go up to 8k/16k with 1600 ante.

I am at a 5 person table where the other players besides me are all the top 4 players. The other 6 person table has a lot of people in the 100k range, but no one is taking any chances there. They're trying to wait us out so they can all make the final table.

Meanwhile, our table is playing at a good pace. So I take it upon myself to start playing everything very slowly. I use all 30 seconds on every decision.

I get ground down with no cards to under 3 big blinds as it gets up to 12.5k/25k with 2500 antes.

On other table, someone gets caught trying to steal with rags, and they lose. We're down to 10 players. But I'm not going to make it to the final table without winning another hand.

The tournament starts going hand by hand as it goes from 10 to 9, meaning each table has to wait for the other to finish a hand.

I double up with an Ace, but still have less than 5 BB.

On the other table, a small stack shoves with J9, and is called with J2. A 2 hits the board, and I make the final table!

First hand at the final table, I get QJh on the button. I push vs. a raise. It is re-raised behind me, and I figure I am screwed. I am right, as they both show KK and JJ. Board comes QJ289 with 4 diamonds, so KK with K of diamonds wins and I am out in 9th.

Biggest cash to date as I finish 9th out of 483, good for $73.89. First place is just over $1,000, but I had no shot at that sadly without doubling up like 6 times.

My roll breaks the $150 barrier for the first time, as with the buy-in, it had dipped to $77.

Finish: $150.99
+62.89 for tournaments

[Butter]

Looking back over the past few weeks, here are my actual results in tournaments since the beginning of the month.

$3 PLO MTT w/rebuys - Invested $6.30, did not cash
$2 NLHE MTT Super Knockout - $2.20 buy-in, cashed for $8.37
$2 NLHE MTT - $2.20 buy-in, did not cash
$2 NLHE MTT Super Knockout - $2.20 buy-in, cashed for $5.27
$1 NLHE MTT - $1.10 buy-in, cashed for $3.27
$5 PLO MTT - $5.50 buy-in, did not cash
$3 PLO Triple-Up SNG - $3.30 buy-in, did not cash
$3 NLHE SNG - $3.30 buy-in, did not cash
$2 NLHE MTT - $2.20 buy-in, cashed for $43.23
$10 NLHE MTT Deep Stack - $11 buy-in, did not cash
$4 NLHE MTT "Beginner" - $4.40 buy-in, cashed for $24.14
$2 NLHE MTT $500 Guaranteed - $2.20 buy-in, did not cash
$2 NLHE MTT $1k GTD - $2.20 buy-in, did not cash
$2 PLO MTT - $2.20 buy-in, did not cash
$7 NLHE MTT $1k GTD - $7.70 buy-in, did not cash
$2 NLHE MTT Super Knockout - $2.20 buy-in, cashed for $1
$10 NLHE MTT Deep Stack - $11 buy-in, cashed for $73.89
$10 PLO MTT - $11 buy-in, did not cash
$1 NLHE MTT - $1.1 buy-in, did not cash

That's a cash in 7 out of 19 tournaments, with top-10 finishes in 3 of them. If we eliminate SNG's, that cuts it to 7/17. If we eliminate the misses in all 4 of the PLO MTT's I played, that means I cashed in 7 of 13 No Limit Hold 'Em multi-table tournaments. Though the single dollar in the Super Knockout is a bit of a cheat, but even excluding that my cash rate for September in NLHE MTT's is about 50%.

Including all tournaments, my win amount for the month in tournaments is $78.97 ($159.17 in winnings minus the $80.20 in buy-ins). For just NLHE, it is $107.57 ($51.60 in buy-ins).

Granted, I have taken the "bankroll rules" and thrown them out the window a bit, as you can see with playing some $7 and $10 MTT's. But this is a pretty good return, about 100% profit on tournaments in total, and nearly 200% on just NLHE alone.

Looking online at some expectations, 15% ROI is considered a good win rate, and 30% is considered elite. So I don't have a big enough sample size, and that is telling me I can expect some downswings if I continue playing a lot of MTT's. Not surprising that 200% would not be considered sustainable, but I did enjoy them while they lasted. Also makes me think that I wasn't playing as bad as I thought when I went through a streak of like 12 MTTs without a cash.

But for now, I think I am settling into playing NLHE MTTs and PLO table games. This seems to do well for me when I am not playing stupid at Omaha.

I really feel like I am playing well at the MTTs right now, and I am avoiding getting beat by worse hands. So yes, I am running good. At some point, I will run bad. Variance can be somewhat demoralizing if you let it. I will try hard not to let it, and we'll see what happens.

Sept. 27th
Start: $150.99

After football and before bed, The Mrs. decided she wanted to stay up and see the eclipse some. I said sure, but I'm not going to be out there the whole time. We can go out and check occasionally. And in the meantime, I'll play some poker.

So I fired up 2 Omaha tables, $2 buy-in each, .02/.05 limits, the usual.

On Table 1 which is 9 players, on the 3rd hand I get dealt 93TJ on the button. I call a raise to .15, and there are 5 players to the flop, which is 82T. I have an open ender and call a small .09 bet. 4 players to the turn, which is another T. Checked around, and river is a 7. I have a straight and trips, and decide to call the .29 bet of the original raiser hoping for not a full house, but not expecting one with no turn bet. I am right, and win $1.20.

I win another small hand with AKQ6 double-suited with strong betting, and leave the table after 15 hands up $1.39.

On Table 2, that was pretty wacky. A 6-hander where the player to my right was raising nearly every pot. I've found at these tables that you need to call a couple of raises to keep them honest and then really punish them with your good hands. Sometimes the board cooperates and sometimes it doesn't.

Hand 7, I get AK52 double-suited. I call a pre-flop re-raise to $1, which is frankly somewhat reckless with this hand. 3 callers to the flop which is AK6, 2 clubs which is not my suit. But I have 2 pair. Re-raiser pre-flop goes all-in, and I call. He shows QJ98 with 2 clubs, so he's really betting the flush draw and a straight. Board ends with 5K, and I make a full house and add $3+ to my stack.

I call another raise with AK23 double-suited, but end up folding on the turn when the board pairs and I'm holding nothing but a one-sided straight draw.

I call another raise with AJJQ, but fold when the board shows 3 diamonds and no high cards.

I re-raise the maniac with AA23, and take it down when the flop shows 44A and he folds to my flop bet.

Last big hand, which is still only like the 20th hand I've played, I get AKJ6 and call a .20 raise from the BB. 3 callers to the flop of JQ5, 2 clubs. I actually bet on this hand after the maniac checks, I bet .40, maniac calls. Turn is a 3rd club, an 8. He checks to me, and I check for the river expecting a check-raise. River is a T of spades, completing my broadway draw, but I'm not clamoring to bet big with the flush draw out there. He bets .80 and I make the crying call. Turns out he made a straight with the 8, as he was holding AT9T. I win another $1.59.

At this point, he says "2 outer on the river, gotta love Bovada". I respond with "idiots raising every hand, gotta love Bovada".

That sets him off, he says "learn poker". I respond with "I did, that's why I just won $5 off you in 30 minutes, moron. Have a great night." And I sign off. Leave that table up $5.31. I don't usually respond to table talk, but my macho side got the best of me in this case.

Finish: $157.69
+6.70 in ring games

[Butter]

Oct. 1
Start: $157.69

Fired up a $3 Omaha Triple-Up SNG... never got anything going there. Won a couple of small pots but not the couple of big ones that knocked me out far from the money in 6th.

Then I sat at some cash tables for a bit. PL Omaha Hi/Lo... a 6 person and 9 person table.

At the 9 person table, I ended up all-in for my $2 eventually with QTTK on a board that had an Ace and a Jack on it. This was not a good move, as I made a big pile of nothing and lost.

At the 6 person table, when I sat with my $2, there was a guy with over $25 at the table.

Hand 2, I get Q524 UTG... I speculate here, as if an Ace comes this is a strong Low hand, especially 6-handed. Big stack raises on the button to .26. 3 players to the flop, which is A9Q, 2 clubs. I have Q5 of clubs. This is not a great flop for a low, but it is for the 2nd nut flush.

Check to the big stack who bets $.76. Player to my right calls, I re-raise all-in, my last $1.69. Both players call, putting player to my right all-in as well.

Turn/River are Kc, 2d. Completing my now nut flush.

Player to my right shows AQ5J, so he flopped 2 pair... but with the strong betting around, he probably should've folded.

Big stack shows JT78, so he was really speculating. Bumps me up to over $5.

Next hand, I win another .70 with AQQJ.

Next, I win another .50 with AQ75 on a board with 2 Aces.

5th hand at the table on the button, I get AKQT, with 3 diamonds. 3 players to the flop, which is J79, 2 diamonds. I have an open ender here, and a nut flush draw. I bet the pot, .25. SB raises to .97. I call. Turn is 8h, making my straight. I bet $1.09 and get called. River is Ac, pretty much a blank as far as this board goes. I bet $1.56 and get called. SB had 7892, so he had the dreaded 3-pair.

I am up to nearly $10 with that win.

A bit later, I'm back down to $9. I get TKJ6 unsuited in the BB. Big stack raises to .21, and we get 4 callers to the flop.

KK5. I check, and UTG bets out for .84. I just call and there are only 2 players left.

Turn is the full-house making 6d. I bet the pot, $2.52. I get called. River is Qc. I am slightly afraid of KQ here, but 6 handed I am less afraid of it. I push all-in hoping this guy is married to his hand. He is not. I take it down, pushing up to $12.58.

Nothing else of note happens at this table, and I leave it holding $11.66, profit of $9.66 at this table.

Sadly, 2 other 6-max tables I open up I go broke at. At one, I hold A2T5, with T5 of clubs. I bet strong with a flop of 6J8, 2 clubs. I lose my $2 when the low doesn't make, and the flush does but the caller has a Queen-high one.

At another table, I re-raise pre-flop with AA96, double suited. End up all-in, and lose to KJT8 when the board comes Q54TK, 2 pair.

At another able, I end up leaving with just $1.12 of my original $2. So all of those eat into my $9.66 in profit from the crazy table.

I decide to take another stab at Zone Poker for some reason, because the football game I'm watching isn't quite over yet, but I'm tired of going broke at Omaha.

Zone Poker if you recall, is a 6-handed NLHE cash game where once you fold a hand, it immediately places you at another table with other players to play another hand. It's like Turbo on steroids.

Blinds are .02/.05, and you can literally play several hands a minute.

Minimum to start at these stakes is $2.50. I'm in.

3rd hand, I get KQs in the SB. I call a small bet when the flop is A2T with 2 spades. I net .70 when I bet a spade on the river and it goes uncalled.

9th hand, I get AJ in the BB. I call a 10 cent raise. Flop is J3Q... checked around. Turn is Ah. I bet .25, 2 callers. River is Ks. I fear a Ten, but I win the showdown for another 80 cents.

Starting with Hand 12, I win like 6 of 9 hands by just raising pre-flop. One hand I get called, but bet holding JTc when the flop is 966 and take down .30.

So, I'm up to over $4.50 when this last hand takes place... I am feeling my oats with being the bully. I raise UTG with QTh... 3 callers to the flop of T33. I've got top pair here. I bet out .68. I get 2 callers, and at this point I should've put the brakes on.

But I don't, as the turn is a Q. I now have 2 pair and decide to bet again, another .71. 2 players call... and at this point I do too for another .96. BB goes all-in on the river blank of a 5. I call like a moron, and see him turn over TT for a flopped full house. Mistake here was not putting on the brakes when there were 2 callers on that board. Other player who also was all in had K3, so he beat me too.

Well, shit. Now I'm down for the evening after having won nearly $10 at a single cash table.

Stupidly, I decide to go back to Zone Poker but at HIGHER STAKES. .05/.10 blinds, minimum $5 at the table.

3rd hand, I get KK UTG. I raise to .35 and get 2 callers. Flop is K53, 2 diamonds. I slow-play. UTG+1 bets out for .10, 2 callers. Turn is a 9h. I bet .75. One caller to the river with is 5s, making me a full house. I bet $1.02, which goes uncalled. Up $1.25 already.

I lose .70 when some guy rivers trips to my middle-pair.

7th hand, I get Q9s on the button. I call a raise to 30 cents in position. Flop is A79, 2 diamonds. I get a piece here. I call a .57 bet, hoping to take it away later. Turn is another 9, and now I'm in the driver's seat. I let UTG continue to lead here, he bets 1.50. I just call.

River is 2h. He bets enough to put me all in, and I'm glad to oblige. He shows AKo, and I take down the $10.88 pot.

A few more hands, and I get out while the getting is good and I can be up for the night.

Finish: $160.12
-3.30 in tournaments, +2.78 in Omaha ring games, +2.95 in NLHE Zone Poker

Really feel like I am playing better at NLHE now. I'm not just waiting for the board to hit me to get money in. I am taking small pots with raises in position, sometimes with nothing. I just need to be better at recognizing when I am beaten and minimize my losses, at all levels. I now need to get better at post-flop play, including figuring out when to bluff and when not to.

[Butter]

So, I will have an update soon... suffice it to say that I haven't done great lately, I'm back down below $100.

However, something interesting happened this week that I thought I'd share.

My wife was out of town all week, so I was playing poker at night a bit more than usual. Tuesday night, I had a "ticket" entry as a new player to play in a freeroll tournament that offered as 1st place an entry into a $100k guaranteed tournament on Sunday. Then for 2nd through 10th, you got an entry to a satellite whose prize is to gain entry to that same tournament.

I played this tourney on Tuesday, and played very well. In a field of 44, I made the final table, then finally got to the final 2. Since the starting stacks were 1,500 chips, that meant there were 66,000 chips in play. Going to heads-up, I was down 55k to 11k. Then soon was down 61k to 5k.

Then I made a comeback, and flipped it around. I took the lead and was up like 38k to 28k. That's when this hand happened:

I got AQo with blinds at 500/1000 and a 100 ante. I just completed out of the SB, and the flop went QK5 rainbow. I bet out 1000 and got called. Turn was an Ace of diamonds giving me 2 pair and 2 diamonds on the board. I bet 3k and he called. River was a 3rd diamond. I bet 5k, and he re-raised all-in. With 3 diamonds on the board and this player playing me pretty passively up to this point, I folded assuming the flush but went back down in chips 39k to 27k. I used up all my time on that decision, which is about 2 minutes. And you can't see the opponents' hole cards unless they show which he didn't.

However, 2 days later, you can see everyone's hole cards on the web site's history screen. So just now I went back to investigate and see that yes indeed he made a flush... he was holding Q2d. So his call on the flop with a pair and turn with a pair and flush draw were more than reasonable.

Sadly, I was not able to make it out of the hole a second time, and ended up losing. I was pretty pissed that I lost a chance at a direct entry to the major tournament and had to go through one of these tourneys yet again.



So, the next night I signed up for the satellite. This one costs $16 and promises one entry for every 10 players, as the straight buy-in to this big tournament is worth $162. There were 19 entries, which meant there would be one entry to the tournament, and a cash prize of $144 for second place.

I played decent in this one, making the final table pretty easily and then getting to the final 4. I made the final 3 when a guy tried to steal with 23s, and I called from the BB with JTo. Board was all blanks, so I won with Jack high, making the final 3.

To start the final 3, chip stacks were me with 8300, P1 with 15k, P2 with 3700.

I moved to the chip lead when I had A9o on the button, and raised to 1200 with blinds of 200/400. Flop was A62 all diamonds. Chip leader bet 1200, I called. Turn was a 7h, he bet 1200 again and I called. He failed to triple-barrel it, and we checked the river... he showed K3h and was trying to represent a flush. I got up to 12k with 27k total in play.

I lost the lead when I tried to make a play 3-handed with KTo out of the SB on a Q73 flop. BB had called a pre-flop raise of mine, and that board seemed pretty empty. He didn't buy my betting and showed a Q down to win and drop me back to 7k chips.

Finally, as the SB, Player 1 raised 1800 with blinds at 300/600... BB went all-in and SB called. We had SB with J6s, and BB with 4's. Turn brought a Jack, and I make the final 2 with 5700 chips vs. 21.3k.

I had thoughts as I made the Final 2 that maybe I should just throw this tournament and collect my $144. It would be by far my biggest payday in a tourney on this site. But once we started playing heads-up, I decided that no, I would try to win because if I get an entry and were to somehow place

I double up on the second hand of heads-up, when I call an all-in holding 68 on a flop of 6K2. He showed 36, and I dominate that matchup and win up to 10k.

We played for probably a half hour heads-up. 58 hands total. It went back and forth a bit. I took the lead in there when I rivered a straight with J8 vs. A7. I then put pressure on all the way to the end. On the final hand, I had KJh and he finally just went all-in with T2c. He rivered a straight, but I rivered a flush to win the whole thing.

-------------

So, now I have an entry ticket into a $250,000 prize pool tournament that is only being played twice... this Sunday and next at 4 PM. Seeing as I'm out of town next weekend, I have to play this thing on Sunday. The prize pool has been bumped from it's normal $100k to $250k for some reason.

If I did manage to place, the least I would win would be $150 since that is the cash buy-in... and usually the lowest cash prize is somewhere around the buy-in. The tournament notes that this tourney has a "modified payout structure" that will pay 15% of the entrants. So that means if we have 1000 people in, I would have to get up to 150th at least.

I have no idea what to expect. I also know that if I were to somehow WIN this thing, it would probably be worth in the neighborhood of $50,000. Very unlikely sure, but not impossible. I could just get hit in the face with cards. I could also get AA on hand 1 and lose to 2 pair or some kind of flush. I will have to combat any kind of fear of not cashing though and just play like I normally would and hope for my hands to hold up. When I have been losing lately, I have mostly been getting my money in good and it just hasn't worked out. It's poker... Even the very best hand at the start of a hand heads-up is like an 8-1 favorite which means you will lose some. The key will be building some kind of stack to where if I am put to the test I can survive it. If not, I won't make it long.

I haven't really played at these kind of stakes before, so no idea what to expect on that front.

Expect some kind of report on Monday. I fully expect it to be anti-climactic, like "I was out in 403rd when I had to push 33 with a small stack against somebody who could afford to call with JTo, and I lost". But we'll see. You never know.

[Butter]

I was not close to doing anything in that Sunday tournament. Finished something like 700th out of 1700+. With a starting stack of 5000, I don't think I ever even got above 6000.

[Butter]

Mid-November, 2015

After being humbled while trying to step up in pay levels a bit too quickly, I have been back to playing where I should be. No more than $4.40 buy-ins.

I have ditched playing everything except for Sit 'N Go's and Multi-Table tournaments. The Multi-Tablers have not been going so great. The rush I hit around the beginning of October has died off. After cashing in 8/18 tournaments, I have hit a lull. In the last 31 multi-table tournaments I have played in, I have cashed 5 times. That cash rate of like 15% is pretty terrible. I have an ROI of like -80%, buying in for $124 and winning only just over $28.

I did cash in one last night, in a tournament where I was getting short-stacked and just decided I was going all-in with AJ regardless of what happened. The Small Blind re-raised me all-in, and he showed AK. Then he mocked me as a horrible player for shoving my entire stack against a re-raise with AJ. This of course was after 2 Jacks hit the board.

I called a big bluff from a guy later on with AQ v. A3 when the board hit neither of us. A bit later in the tournament, I was in the middle of the standings when I called 400 with 33. 6 players went to the flop on a board of J32. I raised when small bets came to me. UTG player went all-in, and another player to my right also went all-in. UTG showed AA, and player to my right showed 22. I out-flopped them both and tripled to the chip lead.

With 10 players left (as 27 paid, so I was safely in the money), a stack about half of mine pushed all in pre-flop against my raise with QQ. He showed AQ, and I felt great until he hit his Ace on the river. Probably justice after my AJ v. AK suck-out. I proceeded to finish 9th out of 102 and doubled my buy-in to about $9.

--------------------

Here are some hands I have been getting beat with to either knock me out or ALL BUT knock me out of recent tournaments. First hand listed is mine:

KK v. AK with Ace of clubs, 4 clubs hit the board all-in pre-flop
J4 in blind, I check-raised on a board of J64... he raises me all-in which I call... and he shows J6.
KJ v. 22 on board of K72.
QQ v. KTs, KTs makes flush on turn
TT v. 66, 6 hits river
AA v. KJh, board of Q23, opponent turned heart flush
46 in blind v. ??, board went A44, I went all-in, he runner-runner's a flush
TT loses to KK and 99 on short-stack
99 loses to AK short-stack
TT loses to AQ short-stack
33 loses to KJ short-stack

Some bad beats, some races lost, some draws hit against me. Nothing especially cruel. Although yesterday I do remember losing out on a Triple-Up SNG pay thanks to losing AQ v. A8 when an 8 hit the river.

Which leads me to the only way I've consistently been winning... that is through Triple-Up Sit 'N Go's. In doing some analysis, that is the only version of poker that I have won consistently at.

Right now, I have 102.30 invested in 31 Triple Up entries. And I've come away from those with $144, or 16 top-3 places, a better than 50% win rate.

Also, in the 13 Pot Limit Omaha Triple Ups, I have placed in 6. Slightly worse than 50%, but still enough to make over $10 off the $42.90 in entry fees.

Considering that you have to place at about a 37% rate (or OVER 1/3 of the time) just to break even thanks to the 30 cent buy-in fee on top of the $3, I have been doing well, placing in exactly 22 of 44 of these Triple-Ups. Considering that each table pays 33% of players, placing at over 36% on a regular basis is not an easy ask but should be attainable for anyone playing well. I guess I have been playing well.

That's really what I've been playing for the past few weeks, aside from the occasional multi-table tournament.

We'll see how it goes. I got below $70 for a bit, and am back approaching $90 with this strategy, sitting at $89.98 today.

[Butter]

Which leads me to the only way I've consistently been winning... that is through Triple-Up Sit 'N Go's. In doing some analysis, that is the only version of poker that I have won consistently at.

Right now, I have 102.30 invested in 31 Triple Up entries. And I've come away from those with $144, or 16 top-3 places, a better than 50% win rate.

Also, in the 13 Pot Limit Omaha Triple Ups, I have placed in 6. Slightly worse than 50%, but still enough to make over $10 off the $42.90 in entry fees.

Considering that you have to place at about a 37% rate (or OVER 1/3 of the time) just to break even thanks to the 30 cent buy-in fee on top of the $3, I have been doing well, placing in exactly 22 of 44 of these Triple-Ups. Considering that each table pays 33% of players, placing at over 36% on a regular basis is not an easy ask but should be attainable for anyone playing well. I guess I have been playing well.

That's really what I've been playing for the past few weeks, aside from the occasional multi-table tournament.

We'll see how it goes. I got below $70 for a bit, and am back approaching $90 with this strategy, sitting at $89.98 today.

November 17th
Start: $89.98

So, shortly after this, I hit a nice run. As of today, I have placed in 7 of 8 Triple-Ups including the last 6 in a row, which has boosted me back to near $120.

I took some short notes about a couple of them:

• While in 3rd place, lost AK to AJ, but later doubled off chip leader in blinds holding KK v. TT, rode to money
  
  
• Got down to 4, I was one of 3 with around 2k chips vs. chip leader with half the chips. Eventually was put all-in by button holding TT in big blind. He had A4, and I dodged an Ace to knock him out and place in money.
  
  
• Knocked first 3 people out by flopping 2 pair each time to take commanding chip lead. Then doubled up 3 people putting pressure on very small stacks with Ace-6 through Ace-Ten, lowering me all the way down to 5th of 5 at one point. Finally won an all-in battle with QJ v. A9 when Jack hit turn. Rode those chips to money
  
  
• Short-stacked late, but doubled up twice with KK to cruise into 2nd place and easily into money.

Like I said, I won't read too much into this yet but am running real good in the Triple-Ups lately.

Also finished 25th of 92 in an 18 places pay multi-tabler, losing $4.40.

Finish: $119.78

[Butter]

Dec. 2-4
Start: $114.22

Had a couple of misses in there and some cash game gains.

12/2, I played in 4 Triple-Ups and cashed in 2, which is a net $4.80 gain.

12/3, I played in 2 Triple-Ups and cashed in 1, a net $2.40 gain.

I also lost 10 cents at 2 PLO tables that I played while waiting for the Thursday Night game to end... yes, while the hail mary from Rodgers was landing in someone's arms, I was folding some garbage Omaha hand, and shortly after closed the tables in disbelief of that play.

12/4 - I played 2 Triple-Ups and cashed in neither. In one I was 4th, losing with A5 v. AK after pushing that hand as a short stack, which is where I had been in the Final 4 for a good 20 hands. In the other, I was out early in 9th of 9, losing with AA to 44... I put the guy all in post-flop on a board of Q56... was figuring 55, 66, KQ or AQ, but was surprised to see 44. Sadly a 4 hit the turn and I was out.

I did also play in a $1.10 Multi-Table tournament. By the time registration ended, there were 200 entrants, which made it a $200 prize pool.

I didn't do a whole lot in this one for a while. I was stretching to hold on with about 50 players left, with 27 paid. I got a couple of nice hands, and then made a couple of decent plays with suited connectors.

Even so, after we hit the money I was still struggling to do better than a minimal cash, as 19th-27th paid $2, and 10th-18th paid $3. I did eventually make it to the final table.

There were 300k chips in play, and I had about 15k with the blinds at 1k-2k when in the BB, still 9-handed (the final 9). The button raised me to 6k while I was holding K4. I figured him for a steal based on what I had witnessed a bit earlier at this same table, so I shoved all-in. He thought for a bit, but he was already well-invested and getting odds with almost anything if he figures I am not paired, so he calls. He shows Q3, and I survive that to win, doubling to over 30k.

Shortly after that, the rest of the table goes a bit mental. A lot of all-ins and calls. I do well to get my money in good and stay out when not, and eventually get down to heads-up with this other guy, the same guy who put me at risk with Q3.

We went back and forth for a good 20 minutes. I knew that I was going to have to probably get lucky and trap him with something and not get trapped myself. We swapped the lead a few times. Finally, when we were nearly even, I got 66. I just checked in the BB and saw my dream flop of 652. He bet and I raised some. He called. Turn was a Jack. He bet again, I raised, he went all-in. I called and he showed JT. He was already drawing dead and I had won the tournament. Victory was worth $44 out of the $200 pool, not a bad win for a low-stakes tournament.

Finish: $157.62

[Butter]

Dec. 5-22
Start: $157.62

Hit a bit of a bad run in the Triple-Ups. During this stretch, I entered 16 of these Triple-Ups, and cashed in just 5. Slightly worse than 33%, for a loss of $7.80. Not terrible, but not the rate I was hitting at.

Here are some brief notes I took on these losses:

• Finished 7th, lost 2 hands back-to-back, holding KQ on board of 88K8K, then with 35 on board of 58945 v. K5.
  
• Got a run of strong hands in middle of tournament, cruised to easy 1st place finish.
  
• 8th, lost with JJ v. QQ on pre-flop all-in.
  
• 5th, lost with KQ v. AQ on Q32 flop.
  
• 8th, lost with AQ to J5 to a guy who was trying to get rid of his chips and leave.
  
• 6th, crippled by putting small stack allin with AT v. Q8, 2 pair flopped for him.
  
• 8th, flopped 2 pair with KJ, lost out to pre-flop raiser who was holding KK.
  
• 6th, lost 4 coin flips to smaller stacks after being in dominant 2nd place.
  
• 6th, held QJ with J of hearts, flop was KQT all hearts. I bet, was raised, I went all-in with Royal Flush draw and lost to A8d when JK completed the board with no more hearts coming.
  
• 4th, lost with J9 to K5 when 3 diamonds flopped, he went all-in with K of diamonds and won on river.
  
• 5th, lost an all in with AJ v. J9 on flop of 789.

I placed 3rd in a standard SNG I played for some reason.

I crapped out of 2 additional MTTs, 24th of 87 in a tourney where 18 paid, lost shoving AQ vs. AK in a battle of the blinds.

Lost in the other MTT in 389th out of close to 1000 players, when I pushed with AA post-flop on a board of J9T, other player was holding TT. That was probably not a smart play, considering how many potential hands beat me on that board.

Not a great run... except for one more MTT that I played last Friday. This was another $4.40 "beginner" tournament that pays more places than a normal MTT. Typical enrollment for these is somewhere between 50-100. This was the same tournament I won 2 weeks prior, on 12/4.

Here are some highlights of this latest MTT cash, starting stacks of 1500:

Hand #22: QQ on button, blinds 30/60. I raise to 231. Get one caller, flop is 7T2 rainbow. UTG+2 bets 284. I raise all-in, remaining 1089 chips. He calls and shows 9T. Remainder of board is 45, so I move up to 2700 chips total.

Hand #27: AQd in big blind, UTG+1 raises to 180, SB raises all-in to 520. I call, UTG+1 calls. Flop is Q69 rainbow. I put BB all-in for 800, he folds. SB shows KQ, and I win again and move up to 3700 chips. (UTG+1 was holding KJs).

Hand #32: ATs UTG+1. I raise to 177. Button and BB call. Flop is 382, one spade. Checked around, Ah comes on turn. I decline to bet, checked around. River is Kh, 3 hearts on board. BB bets 240, I call, button folds. I win, as BB was holding A9. Move up to 4300+ chips.

Hand #35: QJo in SB. UTG+1 min-raises, I call, BB calls. Flop is Q44. I bet out 249, UTG calls. Turn is 2s. I bet out 419, UTG+1 calls again. River is 8h, I decide to check call the river... but UTG+1 checks. I fail to get value, as he mucks TT, but I do move up to over 5100 chips and near first place now.

Hand #51: A9o on button, blinds at 50/100. UTG+1 calls, I raise to 340. BB goes all-in for 902 total. I am left to call 562 into a pot of 1392, and do so. He shows TT, and maybe not such a no-brainer now. But I turn an Ace and get up to 6500+ chips.

I hang around that area for a while.

Hand #96: AQd UTG, blinds at 125/250, with 25 ante. I raise to 751, BB calls. Flop is T49, BB checks, I bet 980, BB calls. Turn is Q, BB checks, I bet 1500, BB calls. River is a 7, I decide to check behind on the river, and I win vs. BB's KQ, and move up to 9200+ chips.

Hand #99: AJo on button. Cutoff min-raises to 500, I re-raise to 1470, CO calls. Flop is TQA, 2 clubs. Action checked to me, I bet 1902 and take it down. CO mucks 22.

We are into the money at this point, as 18 pay and sometime around hand 100, the bubble bursts.

Hand #106: J2 in BB, blinds at 150/300, 30 ante. UTG+1 and UTG+2 call. Flop is 9KJ, 2 clubs. No one bets. Turn is 5h. I take a stab holding a pair, and everyone folds. Move to over 11500 chips.

Hand #107: I complete the SB with 69o. Just me and BB in this hand, flop is 83T... I check, BB bets 300, and I call. Turn is another 3, it's checked around. River is a J, and I decide to take another stab and win it. Move up to 12300.

Next hand I raise with K8 on the button, and it goes uncalled, so I steal the blinds. About 10 more hands, and we are down to the final 10, one more out and we go to the final table.

Hand #120: AJ in SB, blinds are 200/400, ante of 40. Button calls to 400, I raise to 1424. He calls. Flop is Q6T, I bet 1500, Button mucks A8o. I break the 15k chip barrier.

Hand #121: QQ on button. UTG raises to 1500, I re-raise to 4825. He mucks 77.
I go a while with no action, as we get down to the final 9, then players are picking each other off. I am hanging around the 12k-15k chip area with 96,000 total chips in play.
Down to 5 players, then 4 before I finally stick my nose in the action again.

Hand #171: A8 in BB, blinds are 400/800 with 80 ante, I have 13k chips. Button raises to 2400, I re-raise all-in figuring a steal. He calls me with AJ, and I am dominated. Board comes 35826, and I suck out and double to nearly 27k chips, while crippling button down to less than 2 big blinds.

Hand #180: QQ in SB. UTG raises to 4k, button raises all-in… he is the chip leader. I, perhaps stupidly, call. Board comes KJ248, UTG has KT and wins the main pot, but I win the side pot vs. the chip leader who was holding A2c. I move up to nearly 39k chips, and the chip lead.

Hand #191: A8o in BB. Button raises for his last 9200 chips. I call, he shows QQ and I lose down to about 28k.

Hand #192: We drop to 3 players, as I stay out of the action.

Hand #193: Blinds are now 500/1000, ante of 100. I have 66 on the button, and raise to 3216. BB calls. Flop is T24, 2 clubs. I bet 5590, BB calls. Turn is 3 of clubs, I bet enough to put BB all-in for his final 10k. He decides to call, and shows A9d. No idea what he is doing there, he basically needs an Ace or a 5. River is a 6, and my set is good enough to get us heads up.

Hand #202: I get A9 heads up in BB, in a slight chip disadvantage, 43k to 53k. He raises to 3k, I re-raise to 9200, he calls. Flop is T75, it is checked around. Turn is 9d. He bets 8k, I raise all-in. He calls and shows K9. I win, and now have the lead 86k to 10k.

I lose a couple of all-ins, and we’re back to even.

Hand #231: I hold AJs with a deficit of 37k vs. 59k. I just try a sneaky call. BB raises me all-in, and I call. He flips over AKo, and I’m going to lose. Except I don’t, as my saving Jack comes on the river and I take another dominant chip lead.

Hand #236: I hold A8o and put him all-in for 20k. He calls and shows A5. Board makes it interesting, flopping 249, but no other help comes, and my 8 kicker holds up for the win.

1st place is worth $78.09. I bust the $200 barrier for the first time.

Finish: $216.51
(+65.99 in 3 multi-table tournaments, +.70 in 1 standard SNG, -7.80 in 16 Triple-Up SNGs)